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BUTTERFLY HUNTERS 



BY 



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HELEN SrCONANT 



WITH ILL USTRA TIONS. 



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BOSTON: 
TICKNOR AND FIELDS. 

I Z6Z, 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1868, by 

TICKNOR AND FIELDS, 

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 



J 



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University Press : Welch, Bigeiow, & Co. 
Cambridge. 



PREFACE 



In offering this little volume to the public of youthful 
readers the author wishes to say that it has no claim to 
the completeness of a scientific treatise, but is merely the 
result of a summer's rambling through the woods and 
meadows of New England. It is, however, accurate as 
far as it goes. The illustrations have been dra;wn and 
engraved, with great care and accuracy, by Mr. Albert 
C. Russell, of Boston, from specimens in the author's col- 
lection, and all the descriptions have been carefully studied 
from nature. The volume is published with the hope that 
it will awaken in boys and girls a greater interest in the 
study of a delightful branch of natural history ; and the 
author will be fully satisfied if other Httle folks find in 
reading it as much pleasure as it has already given to a 
little boy named Tom, for whom it was written, and to 
whom it is fondly dedicated by his 

MAMMA. 



CONTENTS. 



Chapter Page 

I. Introductory i 

11. The First Butterfly ...... 6 

III. Flowers and Butterflies 14 

IV. A Rainy Morning 21 

V. The Hill-Pasture 25 

VI. The Old Cellar Hole 32 

VII. Butterfly Talk . 37 

VIII. The Rail Swamp 42 

IX. Caterpillars and Chrysalids 49 

X. The Den Rocks . . • 55 

XI. An Evening with Annie Webb 70 

XII. July Butterflies 74 

XIII. The Hay-Field 82 

XIV. Hal's Mishaps in the Woods 93 

XV. The Little Wood-Brownies 100 

XVI. Skippers 106 



VI CONTENTS. 

XVII. The Boating-Party. — Dragon-Flies. . . .in 

XVIII. The Mountain Tramp 122 

XIX. About Moths 138 

XX. About Moths {Continued) 146 

XXI. The Butterfly Festival 156 



LIST OF BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS. 





Page 




Page 


Agrion, Beautiful 


. I20 


Hipparchia Eurytris 


100 


" Common . 


I20 


Nephele . 


• 103 


'\ Gigantic 


. I20 


Semidia 


102, 125 


Arctia Acrea . 


150 


Lackey-Caterpillar Moths . 


. 72 


Argynnis Aphrodite . 


. 76 


Libellula, Fairy 


121 


Bellona . 


80 


Lycasna Americana . 


. 40 


Idalia. 


. 76 


" Epixanthe 


41 


" Myrina . 


79 


Melitaea Pharos 


. 80 


Attacus Cecropia 


. 146 


Nymphalis Disippe 


66,74 


Luna 


141 


" Ephestion 


• .74 


" Polyphemus . 


. 146 


PapiHo Asterias 


30, 37 


" Promethea 


146 


" Troilus 


• 37 


Ceratomia Quadricornis . 


• 155 


" Tumus 


28 


Colias Philodice . 


18 


Polyommatus Comyntas . 


• 47 


Cynthia Atalanta 


. 89 


" Lucia 


46 


" Cardui . 


89 


" Pseudargiolus 


' 45 


" Huntera 


. 87 


Sphinx, Clear- winged . 


156 


Danais Archippus . 


64 


" Quinquemaculatus 


. 154 


Dryocampa Imperialis 


72, 151 


Thecla, genus 


47 


Eudamus Tityrus . 


107 


Tinea, " . 


• 139 


Hesperia Hobomok . 


. 108 


Vanessa Antiopa . 


II 


" Leonardus 


109 


" Comma 


72,97 


Peckius 


. 109 


" Milberti . 


98 


Hipparchia Alope . 


lOI 


" Semicolon . 


. 96 


•' Boisduvallii 


. 103 


' 





-^ 




CHAPTER I. 

INTRODUCTORY. 

NE beautiful evening in the 
early part of April, Rose and 
Hal Merton were standing to- 
gether under the big Elm-tree 
which shaded the lawn in front 
of their father's house. They 
were looking down the long 
hill, up which wound a narrow 
country road, that passed under 

the wide-spreading branches of the Elm, and then twisted 

off round the foot of the mountain. 

"Rose," said Hal, "I wonder what kind of a fellow 

Cousin Tom is. I more than half wish father had not 

invited him to spend the Summer with us." 

Rose smiled, and pointed down the road. "You will 




2 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

soon find out what kind of a fellow he is," said she, "for 
there comes the carriage." 

Hal and his sister turned and walked to the front gate, 
where they waited until Mr. Merton drove up and pre- 
sented Tom to his cousins. 

Tom Stewart was the only son of Mr. Merton's sister. 
His father was a wealthy Boston merchant, and Tom had 
passed all his life in the city home, his country experience 
being limited to Summer excursions with his parents to 
some fashionable resort. Close confinement to study, and 
lack of good, hearty exercise, had begun to show their 
effects upon Tom, and, although a tall, handsome boy of 
fourteen, he was pale and slender as a girl. It was to 
put color into his cheeks, and strength and vigor into 
his whole frame, that Mr. Stewart had sent him for the 
Summer to share the country sports of his cousins. 

Tom was quite homesick the first evening at the farm- 
house, and had but little appetite for the fresh biscuits 
and baked apples and cream his Aunt Merton had pre- 
pared for his supper. Even the kind attention of Rose 
failed to cheer him up, and he was glad when the time 
came to take his candle and go up stairs to the neat little 
chamber he was to occupy during the Summer. 

When Tom waked the next morning all the homesick- 
ness of the previous evening fell back heavy on his heart. 
He thought he never could and never would like the 



. THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 3 

country, or anything about it. But by the time he was 
ready to go down to breakfast, the fresh air and clear 
morning sunlight began to exercise an exhilarating effect 
upon his spirits. Hal was whistling a lively tune out 
under the Elm, and Rose was singing as she sat at work 
on the front doorstep. 

" Good morning, Tom," said she ; " are you rested yet ? 
Mother has saved breakfast for you, and I guess that by 
this time you must be very hungry." 

" Have you had breakfast already ? " asked Tom. 

"O yes, of course," said Rose, with a merry laugh, "sev- 
eral hours ago. But never mind. You will soon grow ac- 
customed to country hours, and rise with the earliest." 

Tom ate his breakfast with a good appetite, and then 
went out under the Elm to see what his cousin Hal was 
doing. 

Hal was sitting on a large flat rock, and seemed to be 
very busy over something, but he looked up as Tom ap- 
proached. 

" Come and help me, Tom," said he ; " I caught my net 
in the bushes yesterday, and am trying to mend it." 

" Your net, Hal ! Are you going fishing .? " 

" O no, not to-day. Besides, do you suppose I could 
catch fish with this gauzy thing ? You will learn better 
than that before you have been here many weeks." 

" What are you going to do with it, then ? " 



4 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

" Well, you see, our class in school are just commencing 
the study of Lepidoptera, and — " 

" Study of what ? " interrupted Tom. 

" Why, don't you know ? The study of butterflies and 
moths. We catch specimens and take them to our school- 
teaclier, who tells us all about them." 

" Why, do you really catch them in nets } " 

" Yes. I was out hunting all day yesterday ; but I 
had n't any luck at all, though I chased a dozen all over 
the fields. You see we have to begin hunting early in 
the season, because the various kinds of butterflies appear 
in different months, and it 's already time for the earhest 
to be creeping out. Those which come latest in the 
Autumn crawl into the cracks of barns and sheds, and 
sometimes into piles of wood, and live there through the 
Winter, and it is to hunt for these that I am going out 
to-morrow." 

" What do you do with the butterflies when you have 
caught them ? " asked Tom. 

" O, you '11 see. Rose will make you a net, and then 
you can go hunting with me. A few tramps over the moun- 
tain will do you good. As you look now, I would n't give 
much for you among us country boys at any sort of a game." 

Tom was at first inclined to resent this uncomplimen- 
tary speech. Though of slighter form than Hal, he was 
already quite expert in gymnastic games, and his muscles 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 5 

were firm and nervous. But, as he looked at his stout and 
sturdy cousin, he thought it best not to boast too loudly. 

Mending the torn net proved to be too nice a job for 
Hal's skill, and the boys went into the house to ask Rose's 
assistance. 

Of course Tom must have a net too, so Hal immedi- 
ately set to work upon the frame. He took a common 
flat barrel-hoop, and slit off a strip about a quarter of an 
inch in width. Of this he made a hoop about a foot in 
diameter, which he bound with wire to a light hickory 
rod of the thickness of a parasol handle and about three 
feet long. When he had completed his frame. Rose took 
a circular piece of mosquito-netting, about three quarters 
of a yard in diameter, and bound it firmly to the hoop, 
and the net was finished. Butterfly nets can be bought 
ready made ; but any boy who is handy with his knife 
can make his own. The frame should be light so as not 
to fatigue the hand, and at the same time strong enough 
to endure a good deal of rough work among the bushes. 
A piece of ratan from an old umbrella makes a good 
hoop ; and nothing is better for the handle than a farmer's 
goad-stick or wooden whip, which is light, strong, and not 
too elastic. Great attention should be paid to joining the 
handle to the hoop. If this is not firmly done, the frame 
may come in two when you are in hot pursuit of butter- 
flies, and if you have not with you the means of repairing 
the damage, you may lose your whole day's sport. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



CHAPTER II 




THE FIRST BUTTERFLY. 

,N early Spring morning in New England 
possesses a sweet charm of its own, un- 
equalled in any other part of the world. 
The warm rays of the sun melt the deep 
Winter snows and send merry rivulets 
dancing and sparkling down every hill- 
side. The meadows are wet and soft, 
and all the hollows are miniature lakes, 
by which the green grass already shoots up in tall, slender 
spires. Along the roadside, and under the old stone walls, 
the dingy snow-banks waste rapidly away, giving place to 
banks of emerald turf and delicate wayside flowers. 

It was on one of these sweet mornings that Hal, with 
his net and box and bottle of ether, started out with Tom 
to hunt for the first Spring butterfly, the Antiopa, which, 
after living all Winter in old buildings or wood-piles, creeps 
out to die in the warm April sunshine. 

"Are we going to tramp all over the wet, splashy 
meadows ? " asked Tom. 

" O no," answered Hal, " not to-day. But you need n't 
look so fearfully at the wet fields, for long before Summer 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 7 

is over I shall go straight through mud and water, and 
so will you. To-day we will only hunt round the barns 
and woodshed, although Mr. Benedict says the Antiopa 
is often found in warm, sunny places in the woods. 

"Who is Mr. Benedict.?" 

"He is our teacher. A real jolly man he is, too, and 
all the boys like him. But why did n't you bring out 
your net ? " 

"Rose has not finished it yet. I shall catch about as 
much with the net in her work-basket as if I had it out 
here." 

"Don't say that, Tom. But as your hands are empty, 
you may as well, carry my box." 

" You don't expect to fill this big box to-day, do you ? " 

"The box will hold 07ie, if I have the luck to catch it," 
said Hal, laughing. "But, you see, perhaps we shall hunt 
for nothing all day. Butterfly-hunting takes just as much 
patience and skill as fishing, only it is more active sport." 

While they were talking, the two boys walked leisurely 
along through the yard back of Mr. Merton's house. They 
climbed over the bars, and went down the lane to the 
barn. 

" Hal, what are you going to do with this ether ? " 
asked Tom. " The smell makes me feel just as if I was 
going to have a tooth pulled." 

"I am going to serve the butterflies just as the dentist 



8 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

serves you," replied Hal. "Soon as I catch one I put a 
drop of this to its nose, and put it to sleep so that it 
will feel no pain. Then I fasten it with a pin to one of 
those pieces of cork you see in the box. I put the butter- 
flies to sleep before taking them from the net, or else they 
would flutter and struggle so as to destroy all the delicate 
down on their wings. But you shall see. Come along." 

The noon sun had spread its full glory of warmth and 
light through the air, and the boys stepped very cautiously, 
for Hal said they might find a butterfly hovering over any 
of the old logs that lay scattered about in the grass. 

" Keep a little behind me, Tom," said Hal ; " for the 
Antiopa are very shy, and if I see one lighted I want to 
throw my net over it before anything starts it. This kind 
fly very high, and it is n't easy to chase them." 

"Why, Hal, I thought you had just begun to study 
Lepi — What do you call it ? But you seem to know 
all about the habits of the butterflies now." 

" Of course I have had to study some before beginning 
to catch them," replied Hal; "and, besides, last Autumn 
I hunted and found a few, but I was awkward then, and 
tore them all to pieces trying to arrange them on the 
corks. — Stop ! stop ! There 's one lighted on that old log." 

Hal stole softly along, and threw his net, but the beau- 
tiful insect floated up over the roof of the barn, and 
finally lighted far above Hal's reach. Hal did not stop 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 9 

to reply to Tom's loud, ringing laugh, but went on quietly 
looking for more butterflies, turning every now and then 
to see whether the first one had flown from the roof It 
soon darted off over the other side of the building, and 
Hal chased after it, leaving his cousin behind. Very soon 
Tom heard Hal calling for the box and ether. 

When Tom came up, Hal had gathered the net up into 
a bunch, confining the insect in a small space. He was 
holding it very carefully to keep it quiet, until he could 
put it to sleep with a drop of ether. Tom held the bottle, 
while Hal with a delicate brush dropped a little ether on 
the butterfly's head. The insect soon ceased moving, and 
Hal then fastened it by means of a long, slender pin to 
one of the corks in his box, and spread out its wings so 
as to show all the beauty and variety of the colors. 

"You punch it with your ugly pin as if it was dead 
instead of asleep," said Tom. 

" Yes, I know I do ; and perhaps it is dead," replied Hal, 
all the while busily arranging the wings before they grew 
stiff and brittle. "Sometimes they wake up," he continued, 
"and then I have to give them another dose of ether." 

It was now nearly time for dinner, and the boys turned 
to go into the house. In the yard Hal succeeded in 
catching two more butterflies of the same kind. 

"Why do you keep so many just alike.?" asked Tom. 

"The specimens are not always perfect," answered Hal, 



lO THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

"and then we want a pair in our collection. The female 
is always larger and more beautiful in color than the male. 
Besides, with many butterflies the under side is quite as 
interesting to examine as the upper. So we catch all we 
can, and afterwards select the finest specimens to keep." 

The boys stopped to show their specimens to Rose, who 
was waiting for them in the doorway. All three then went 
in to dinner. 

In the evening Hal and Tom went over to the school- 
house, v/here they found Mr. Benedict, the teacher, who 
was a great favorite with the boys, sitting in one of the 
recitation-rooms. About twenty boys were gathered near 
him, and on the table at his side lay several large books 
and a number of small boxes. The boys were all talking 
eagerly; and Frankie Mason, a bright-eyed little fellow of 
ten, was telling the teacher how hard he had worked all 
day without catching a single butterfly, when the door 
opened, and Hal and Tom, with Johnny Webb, came in 
with their boxes, and laid them on the table. The boys 
then took their seats, and Mr. Benedict commenced as 
follows. 

" In the beginning I shall make our study as simple 
as possible, and leave all the difficult things till we are 
better able to understand them. We will study the but- 
terflies by what we can see with the naked eye, because 
very few of you possess microscopes." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. II 

The teacher stopped and turned to his table. Each boy- 
had brought his specimen in a neat paper box, on which 
his own name was written, so that Mr. Benedict might 
know whose butterfly was the best preserved. He smiled 
as he looked at some of them, for they were torn, and 
the down on the wings nearly rubbed off. 

" That 's mine," said one of the big boys, as the teacher 
laughingly held up one forlorn insect, of which little was 
remaining save the body and a broken piece of a wing. 
" I brought it to show you I had tried." 

"Never mind, Gilbert," said the teacher, "to catch the 
butterfly at all is better than nothing. Only next time 
you must handle it with more delicate fingers." 

After looking over all that had been brought in, the 
teacher told the boys that he should make the Antiopa 
the subject of this lesson, although several boys had found 
specimens of other early varieties. The Antiopa, having 
lived over Winter, was properly the first one to be con- 
sidered. Hal's specimens were very well arranged, but 
Johnny Webb had found a more perfect insect, so the 
teacher selected the latter specimen to show to the boys. 

"The Antiopa," said he, "belongs to the genus Vanessa, 
because the wings are jagged or tailed on the hind edge. 
The wings expand from three to three and a half inches." 
He held up Johnny's box in his hand, and all the boys 
looked eagerly at the beautiful insect expanded in it. 



12 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



"You see the wings are of a purplish-brown color, with 
a broad bufF-yellow border. Just inside the border is a 
row of pale blue spots. Even this fine specimen," he 




The Antiopa. 

continued, ** is somewhat faded, as these butterflies always 
are in the Spring. The butterflies of this brood which 
are flying about now will very soon die. They will first 
deposit their eggs on the Elm and Willow trees, where 
the caterpillar lives after it is hatched, until about the 
first of July, when it becomes a chrysalis. The butterfly 
breaks the chrysalis in about two weeks, and when it 
first creeps out and spreads its fresh wings in the sun- 
shine, the color on them is very brilliant and rich as 
velvet. This brood of Antiopa is very short lived. It 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 3 

deposits its eggs and dies, and a second brood of cater- 
pillars is hatched, which goes through all the changes, 
producing the butterfly again before Winter. In the 
Autumn you will find these butterflies hovering over 
the heaps of apples in the orchard, and that will be 
the best time to secure them for your collection." 



14 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



CHAPTER III. 



FLOWERS AND BUTTERFLIES. 




EVERAL weeks after the first hunt for the 
Antiopa, Tom and Hal, together with Hal's 
cousin, Johnny Webb, started off one bright 
May morning to hunt for the small yellow 
butterflies, which Mr. Benedict had said they 
would find flying about in the sunny fields. 

It was yet too early in the morning for butterflies to 
be out, for they keep very quiet until the sun has dried 
the dew from the grass and flowers, so that they can fly 
without fear of injuring their delicate wings. But the 
boys had started off" early to have a hunt for flowers and 
moss for Rose to arrange in her vases. They crossed the 
road in front of Mr. Merton's house, and climbed over 
the wall into the pasture. A lot of sleek, sober-looking 
cows were nipping the short green grass, and lifted their 
noses with a good-morning sniff" as the boys passed. 

"Let 's walk all round by the wall," said Johnn}^ "and 
when we get to the farther corner, where the nut-trees 
are, we '11 climb over into the Birch-grove. Early Saxi- 
frage grows there, and I told Rose I 'd bring her home 
a bunch of it." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 5 

" Hallo, there 's our Fort," said Hal. The boys stopped 
and examined with great interest a big square enclosed 
with a stone wall, which it had taken Hal and some other 
village boys the whole of a last Autumn's holiday to build. 
The Winter frost had displaced many of the stones, and 
one side was quite thrown down. "All open to the 
enemy," said Hal, as he walked up to the breach. "Don't 
you remember," he added, " how old Farmer Rogers, in 
his long blue frock, chased us and yelled at us because 
we stole a whole heap of his cider apples for shot and 
shell .? " 

"Yes," said Johnny, soberly; "and father was so sorry 
about it, that he sent the old man a barrel of our best 
Baldwins in return." 

" It was a mean trick in us boys, any way," said Hal. 

' Only see the Violets and Anemones," said Johnny. 
The boys looked down under the Alders by the wall, 
and were soon on their knees, plucking handfuls of the 
delicate Wind-flowers and Violets. Before they reached 
the nut-tree corner, they had gathered great bunches of 
Dandelions, Liverwort, and Wild Geranium. 

" Chip, chip, chip," said Hal, as a striped squirrel darted 
nimbly past them. The squirrels- had a whole colony of 
little burrows in the nut-tree corner, and might be seen 
having a grand frolic there any warm sunny day. 

When the boys reached the corner, Tom threw himself 



1 6 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

down under one of the trees, right into a whole bed of 
blue Liverwort, and began to arrange the flowers he had 
gathered. Johnny climbed over the wall into the Birch- 
grove, after Early Saxifrage, and soon came back with his 
hands full. 

The boys soon gathered so many flowers that they 
agreed to leave them under the nut-trees while they 
went ofi' for butterflies. 

" Let 's separate," said Hal, " and each see what he can 
do alone. Then afterwards we will all meet here again. 
Hallo, there goes a butterfly, now," — and saying this, ofl" 
he darted after it, going over the wall and up the side 
of the hill, almost as fast as the insect he was chasing. 

Johnny went to a little pool of water and dipped some 
Birch branches in it, which he brought carefully back and 
laid over the flowers to keep them fresh and protect them 
from the sun, and then he and Tom started off in oppo- 
site directions. 

In about an hour the boys met again at the nut-tree 
corner. 

" Well, Tom, you have got your box full, of course," 
said Hal, as he sat down on the grass to take breath, 
and, throwing off his cap, pushed his damp, curly hair 
back from his forehead. 

"Now, Hal, you are too bad. You know I never tried 
before," said Tom ; " but I have done as well as Gilbert 
did, any way." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 7 

He opened his little box and showed Hal and Johnny 
a poor crushed insect, with its legs and antennae all 
broken off. 

" Now see here," said Hal, " I 've caught six." 

"Look at that one," said Johnny, "with a beautiful 
shaded border." 

" Yes," repHed Hal, " that is a female butterfly. Mr. 
Benedict described it to me. I only caught one, although 
I chased another half-way down the other side of the hill. 
Now, Johnny, show us your boxful." 

Johnny laughed, and put his box away in his pocket. 
" The warm sun made the things too lively," said he ; 
"I had a hard run, and threw my net ever so many 
times, but the butterflies always darted ofl" into the air. 
And all the while I could see you off on the hill, down 
on your knees and boxing them up." 

The boys gathered up their flowers and went home. 
Johnny gave a large bunch of the Saxifrage to Rose, 
and carried the rest home to his sister Annie. 

In the evening the boys all met again at the school- 
room. Mr. Benedict was much gratified to find the boys 
taking so much interest in their study, and he praised 
them for the number of specimens they had brought, and 
for the careful manner in which most of them had been 
prepared. 

"These beautiful yellow butterflies," said he, "belong to 

2 



1 8 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

the genus Colias, and are distinguished by the following 
peculiarities : six legs, short antennae thickened towards the 
end, and — " 

" Antennae. Do you mean those horns ? " interrupted 
little Frank Mason. 

The teacher encouraged all such questions, but could 
not help laughing at Frank's eager manner. 

" O yes, Frank," said he, " those are what I mean, and 
you may call them horns if you choose. There is time 
enough for a little boy like you to learn the proper names. 
You see," he continued, " that the horns are thicker to- 
ward the end. The color of the wings is bright yellow, 
with a black border. On the female of this butterfly this 
border is very broad on the fore wings and beautifully 
shaded. The fore wings have a small black dot near the 
centre. This dot is just alike on both sides, while the 
round orange-colored spot on the middle of the upper side 
of the hind wings is replaced on the under side by a 
silvery spot with a rusty looking ring round it. The hind 
wings are rounded and have a smooth edge, and near the 
margin on the under side are three delicate dots. 

"The male of this butterfly is smaller than the female, 
and the black on the border of its wings is more dense in 
color. 

"This butterfly's name is Colias Philodice. It is very 
fond of Clover, and often deposits its eggs upon it." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 9 

" Does it live all Summer ? " asked Gilbert. " I remem- 
ber seeing some that looked just like it, hovering over 
father's late Clover last Autumn." 




Colias Philodice. 

"No," replied Mr. Benedict, "this early brood will all 
disappear, and about the first of August another brood 
will come out. The late brood is much more numerous 
than this early one. These butterflies will often fly in 
such quantities in fields where the late Clover is in bloom, 
that you could not throw your net without catching three 
or four at one time. Now, boys," he continued, "there is 
a very large and beautiful butterfly , which appears about 
the last of May, and when you are out hunting specimens 
for next week's lesson, I want you to look for it. It is of 
a beautiful lemon yellow, ornamented with black stripes. 
This butterfly is as large as any we have. You must look 
for it in warm and sunny places. Very few butterflies live 
in the woods, and those that do, such as the Hipparchians, 
come much later in the season. At this time of the year 



20 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

they fly about in the open fields and by the roadside. 
They delight to hover over the bushes that fringe the old 
stone walls. You will find them in these places any sunny 
afternoon." 

After giving them these directions, Mr, Benedict dis- 
missed the boys. As they went out they all passed up 
by his desk, and he returned each boy the little box he 
had brought containing specimens. 




THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 21 

CHAPTER IV. 

A RAINY MORNING. 

T was a sweet moonlight evening, and Tom 
and Hal " walked slowly home with Johnny 
Webb. Rose was spending the evening with 
Annie, and the boys were to call for her on 
their way home. 

Mr. Webb's house was a large farm-house, standing with 
its gable towards the road, as so many of the New 
England farm-houses were built long ago. The boys 
opened a little wooden gate and walked towards the 
house between two rows of Syringa and Lilac bushes, 
until they reached the porch, where they found the girls. 
Annie, who was lame from the effects of a fall received 
when she was a very little girl, was lying on a lounge, 
which Mrs. Webb had drawn to the door for her, her 
sweet pale face looking lovely and quiet as the moon 
shone upon it. Rose sat upon a low seat by her side. 

" Come, Johnny," said Annie, " tell me what the lesson 
was about to-night." 

" O Annie ! Mr. Benedict says we must hunt next week 
for the biggest butterfly you ever saw." 

Annie laughed heartily at Johnny's boyish eagerness. 



22 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

"I saw some of those great yellow butterflies he told 
about, in a Museum once, under a glass," said Tom ; " and 
I thought then they were painted instead of being real 
butterflies." 

"I 've often seen them flying about," said Hal, "and 
once I caught a big one in my cap, but he was broken 
all to pieces and I threw him away." 

" Well," said Johnny, " now Mr. Benedict has taught us 
how to use nets, I think I can catch one without break- 
ing it." 

"Annie, don't you feel very tired sitting still here all 
these pleasant Spring days ? " asked Tom. 

" O no," she repUed ; " I can look out of the window and 
watch mother working among her flowers ; and then Johnny 
is such a good boy, and brings me in mosses and wild- 
flowers almost every day. Only I do long sometimes to 
be out in the woods myself, and feel the soft Pine carpet 
under my feet and hear the roar of the wind in the tree- 
tops." 

"And so you shall, Annie," said Hal. "Some warm 
day I will carry you to the woods myself" 

Then the boys told the girls that after a while they 
were going to have a grand picnic in the grove at the 
Den Rocks, and Mrs. Webb said if Annie was well enough 
she should be carried to the grove to enjoy it with them. 

It was now time to go home; and after saying good 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 23 

night to Annie and Johnny, Rose and the two boys 
walked up the hill to Mr. Merton's house. 

A few days after this Hal and Tom laid a grand plan, 
that, as the next day was Saturday, and there would be 
no school, they would have a hunt for butterflies, and after- 
wards come home through the Rail Swamp to get some 
Rhodora and Shad-flowers for Annie. But Saturday morn- 
ing dawned and the boys were sorry enough to find a 
heavy rain pouring down, and the dismal prospect before 
them of spending a day in-doors. After breakfast they 
sat down and tried to look over Hal's book on butter- 
flies, to see if , they could find out anything more about 
the big yellow one they were going to hunt for. They 
read a little while, but the big words puzzled them, and, 
besides, they were possessed with that restlessness peculiar 
to boys when they are made to stay in the house against 
their will. Finally Tom threw the book impatiently on 
the table. 

"I don't know one word I 've been reading," said he. 

They then went up stairs to Hal's little room and began 
to look over drawers and boxes filled with sundry old 
things, precious to boys. There were portions of old clock- 
work, pieces of lead, bits of tin and wire, Httle bundles 
of nails and screws, and in a chest that stood on one side 
of the room was a very neat set of small tools. 

In one corner of the room stood an unfinished model 



24 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

of a saw-mill, complete in all its parts, with the exception 
of the great wheel, the materials for which were lying on 
the workbench under the window. Tom was immediately 
interested in the neat workmanship and ingenuity of the 
model, which he examined with the greatest attention. In- 
side, everything was in perfect order, and ready to be put 
in motion, and Tom proposed that they should spend the 
rest of the morning in finishing the wheel. Hal at once 
agreed, and immediately set to work. The model was 
about three feet in length, and about eighteen inches in 
height. One side and one end were open. The other 
side and end were boarded up, and the roof was neatly 
covered with mii^ature shingles. The great wheel, which 
was to be on the side which was boarded up, was twelve 
inches in diameter. It was constructed on- the "overshot" 
principle, and the buckets were about two inches in width 
and nearly an inch in depth. The separate parts were 
already finished, and Hal had only to put them together 
with neat wooden pegs. While at work he explained that 
he had built a splendid mill-dam on the Mountain Stream, 
where he intended to set his mill. The foundation was 
all ready, and as soon as the wheel was finished and se- 
cured to the shaft they could set the mill in its place and 
commence sawing miniature pine logs. 




THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 2$ 

CHAPTER V. 

THE HILL-PASTURE. 

|N this way the forenoon passed rapidly. After 
dinner Tom went to the window, and off over 
the barn he saw, to his great dehght, a piece 
of blue sky through which the sun very soon 
shone, while the clouds all broke up into big 
white groups and floated out of sight. 

"Come, Hal, I say, let 's be off in a hurry," said Tom, 
as he hunted round for his cap and net. 

" You need not go yet, boys," said Rose ; " for the butter- 
flies won't come out until the sun has dried the grass a 
little." 

Rose had taken up Hal's book, which lay on the table, 
and was turning over the leaves slowly as she spoke. 

" See here," said she, " in describing that butterfly you 
were talking about this morning, this book says that it 
lives round the apple-trees and leaves its eggs on them. 
I wish one of you could find me a chrysalis. I would keep 
it for you in a warm, dry place, until the butterfly came 
out of it." 

" O, Annie is going to keep all the chrysalids," said Hal. 
"Her father has made her a nice box with a glass cover, 



26 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

and she keeps it on her work-table. Johnny has found 
some for her, and I promised to carry her mine." 

" You shall carry them to her," said Rose. " Annie has 
to sit still all day, and it will amuse her to watch them." 

By this time the sun was shining very bright and warm, 
and the boys started off. 

With their nets thrown over their shoulders, and each 
one carrying his specimen-box, they walked up the little 
narrow road that wound by the foot of the mountain. It 
was one of those deHcious little country roads, in which 
there is a beaten track for each wheel and one in the 
centre trodden by the horse's feet, and between the tracks 
a little ridge of grass. A thick hedge of Birches and 
Alders bordered each side of the road, broken only here 
and there to give room to an old moss-grown pair of bars. 
The boys walked along, each trying to balance himself on 
the narrow ridges of grass. Tom slipped off several times, 
his feet going plump into little pools of water which had 
settled in the wheel-track after the rain. Finally they 
stopped, and leaned on an old pair of bars. 

"Tom," said Hal, "we may as well go right off into the 
fields. In this road the trees and bushes keep it so damp 
that the butterflies are afraid to fly." 

So they jumped over the bars, and, after crossing a 
broad marshy brook on some stepping-stones which Hal 
had placed there long before, they ran up the slope of 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 2/ 

the hill-pasture. This was where Mr. Merton's oxen were 
turned out to lie in the grass when they were not in 
use. One splendid pair were lying there now, and they 
lifted their large eyes drowsily as the boys ran past them. 
Tom was in hot pursuit of a great butterfly he had just 
started up from a bunch of Clover. He raced over to 
the farther side of the pasture, and clearing the wall at 
one bound, disappeared on the other side. Soon Hal saw 
his net flying along far up the road, and at last go out 
of sight behind a big cluster of Willows. 

Hal himself soon found several of the butterflies he had 
come out to hunt for hovering round the margin of a 
shallow pool in the pasture ; and after creeping about 
slyly for some time, he succeeded in capturing several 
fine specimens. He gave them a dose of ether, and then 
climbed over into the road on the opposite side of the 
pasture from where he had entered it. Then he sat down 
on a big stone to arrange the wings of his butterflies and 
to wait for Tom's reappearance. 

Before long Tom came back, his face flushed with his 
long race. He carried his little box very carefully in his 
hand. 

"O Hal!" said he, as soon as he came near enough to 
speak, " I Ve caught a splendid fellow ! Look here." 

He opened his box and displayed a large black butterfly 
with brilHant dots on its wings. 



28 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

" I never saw one like that," said Hal. " We '11 carry 
it to Mr. Benedict to-night and ask him what it is." 

" He is a strong old butterfly, any way," said Tom. " He 
struggled hard for his life. I could n't help feeling sorry 
for him, he was so silent about it." 

" I know it, Tom ; the butterflies can't make the least 
noise, no matter how bad we treat them. I caught a 
Bumble-bee by mistake the other day, and he made such 
a fuss with his witmble, wiimble, wtcmble, that I was glad 
to let him go." 

It was now so late that the boys agreed to go for 
Annie's flowers some other time. Hal said perhaps Rose 
would go with them, and then they would all visit the 
old cellar hole together. 

In the evening Tom and Hal took their specimens and 
went early to the meeting of the class. 

"Well, boys," said Mr. Benedict, as he rose to com- 
mence his lecture, "you have done remarkably well. I 
shall speak to you this evening about the Papilio Turnus. 
This butterfly takes its place among the largest we find. 
Its wings expand nearly five inches. The color is, as you 
see, a brilliant yellow with a broad border of black dotted 
with yellow, on the edge of the wings." 

Mr. Benedict held up the box containing the butterfly 
he had selected as the best specimen for the evening, 
and little Frank Mason could n't help exclaiming, " O Mr. 
Benedict! that 's my butterfly!" 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



29 



" I see it is, Frank," said the teacher ; " and I must 
praise you for having mounted it so neatly." 

" But my papa helped me catch it, and he fastened it 
in the box for me, too," said Frank. 

All the boys laughed at Frank's open-heartedness. 




Papilio Turnus. 



"The fore wings of this butterfly," continued Mr. Bene- 
dict, "are crossed by four bands of black, extending back- 
wards from the front edge. On each hind wing is an 
orange-colored spot and at the back a little tail. 

"This beautiful butterfly is usually seen flying about the 



30 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

apple and cherry trees, on which it leaves its eggs. You 
will often find the chrysalis on these trees. It remains 
there through the Winter, and the butterfly does not leave 
it until the last of May or first of June. The Papilio 
Turnus flies very high, but it often descends and hovers 
about small pools of water after a shower. Some seasons 




Papilio Asterias. 

it is very common, and may be found in great numbers 
in any orchard or pasture where old apple-trees are stand- 
ing. Almost all the large varieties of butterflies vary in 
numbers in diflerent years. Some years they disappear 
almost entirely, and the following Spring they will per- 
haps come out more abundant than ever. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 3 1 

"For our next lesson I will tell you about this butterfly 
of which Tom Stewart has brought in one specimen. It 
is very handsomely arranged," said he, as he turned with 
an approving smile to where Tom sat. Tom Stewart's 
face glowed with pleasure, and he felt more than paid for 
his hard chase. 

" This butterfly," continued the teacher, ' " is called Pa- 
pilio Asterias. I want you all to go home and take your 
book and see what you can learn about it. Next Wednes- 
day we will meet here again, and each one shall tell 
me what he has been able to learn alone by himself. 
We shall meet twice a week after this evening, because 
at this season the different kinds of butterflies are coming 
out very fast." 



32 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 




CHAPTER VI. 

THE OLD CELLAR HOLE. 

NE pleasant afternoon before the next meet- 
ing of the butterfly class, Hal and Tom 
persuaded Rose to go with them, after 
school hours, for a long walk about the 
pastures. 

Rose had prepared a little basket of luncheon to eat 
out under . the White Pine, and they were all ready to 
start when Hal came home. They looked just like a pic- 
nic party as they went off down the lane. Hal carried 
the basket, which was pretty heavy, and Rose carried his 
net for him. Tom had his net too. 

They walked fast across the open field, but when they 
came to the bushes they had to step carefully on the 
little tufts of moss and dried grass, as the ground between 
them was damp and soft, and here and there they came 
to little pools of water, which they either had to cross 
with a jump or go around. 

"Father calls all these pastures the Rail Swamp," said 
Hal. "It is never so dry here that the cattle cannot find 
water enough to drink." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 33 

" I don't see why we are coming among these bushes," 
said Tom. " I 've caught my net and torn it already." 

" Why, we are coming for Rhodora," said Rose, " It 
grows along by the wall just the other side of the thicket. 
But you would better carry back your net and leave it 
on the grass. I wish you would take Hal's too, for I 
need both hands to gather flowers with." 

Tom took the nets and went back with them. When 
he returned, Hal and Rose had disappeared in the thicket ; 
but he could hear their voices calling him, and he soon 
found them by the side of an old moss-grown, tumbling 
wall. By its side stretched a long, dark pool of water, 
in which the wall and bushes and trees were clearly re- 
flected, and along whose margin grew the Rhodora. The 
beautiful plant was in full blossom ; some of the pretty 
purple petals had fallen off and were floating slowly about 
on the surface of the water. The children gathered a 
large bunch, and then sat down on a great bed of moss 
to rest, before going back for their nets. Rose gathered 
some of the moss and amused herself by placing in it 
such flowers as she found growing there. There was 
Solomon's Seal and Wild Geranium, and under a large 
Alder-bush Tom found a whole bed of Nodding Trillium, 
or Wake Robin. When they had gathered all they could 
carry, they went back to the place where they had left 
their nets. 

3 



34 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

By this time Hal felt hungry, so Rose said they would 
eat their luncheon before visiting the old cellar hole. To 
reach the White Pine they had to walk along by the 
wall in the cow-path till they came to a clump of Pine- 
trees. In the centre of this clump stood the White Pine. 
This tree was the largest of the group. Under its wide- 
spreading branches was an open space covered with a 
soft Pine carpet. The other Pine-trees grew all around 
so as to shut it in entirely, making a pleasant bower, 
where the children often came on hot Summer days. 
On one side Hal had trimmed the branches so as to 
make a little arched entrance. They all sat down under 
the tree, and Rose spread out the contents of her basket. 
Tom thought he had never eaten anything so nice as the 
thin slices of bread and butter, and apple-pie and Dutch 
cheese. When they had eaten their luncheon, they laid 
their moss and all the small flowers in the basket, and 
then strolled off in the direction of the old cellar hole. 

As they walked along. Rose told Tom all she knew 
about the cellar hole. There had been no house there 
for a great many years. Almost one hundred years ago, 
when the house was new and when the little narrow lane 
upon which it stood was one of the travelled country 
roads, a young sister of General Israel Putnam was 
brought home to it, a bride. Here she lived for many 
years and had a large number of children, both girls 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 35 

and boys. No doubt there was many a jolly wedding in 
the house, as the daughters, one by one, passed away to 
other homes. There was sadness there too, for in an old 
briery cemetery near by there is a gray, moss-covered stone, 

"Sacred to the memory of Mary F n, who departed 

this life June y^ 21, 17 — . Aged 15 years." After this 
family were all scattered or dead, the house fell into decay, 
and finally one stormy Winter night it was blown down. 

" Old Goody Wood told me all this," said Rose ; " and 
when I go to the cellar hole I always sit down and try 
to fancy the children playing on the green and the good 
mother spinning at the sunny open door." 

By this time they had reached the bars at the entrance 
of the lane. They climbed over, and walked a long way 
through a shady little road, where the Birches and young 
Maples brushed them with their branches. After a while 
they came to a bend in the road, and, turning it, found 
themselves in an open, grassy space. Here was the cellar 
hole. It was not very deep, and was all overgrown with 
luxuriant grass. The bricks from the chimney and some 
of the stones from the cellar wall were tumbled here and 
there in heaps. At the side nearest the road lay the large, 
flat door-stone. 

" I can imagine old General Putnam sitting here," said 
Rose, " telling stories to all his nephews and nieces abouj: 
the strange scenes he had passed through." 



36 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

Off at one side of the cellar hole was the place where 
the well used to be. It was all filled up, and a few 
stones were heaped on the top. Some blackberry-vines, 
covered with white blossoms, were running over them. 
Farther back was a small place sunken in the ground, 
where Hal said the barn must have stood. On one side 
of the door-stone grew a large clump of Lilac-bushes. 
There were a few blossoms on them, which Rose gathered 
to carry home. It was very still there. The only things 
in motion were a few birds, which hopped about and 
twittered on the branches of some scraggy apple-trees. 

Rose sat down on the old door-stone, while the boys 
hunted about for butterflies. They found some little red 
and brown ones, which Hal said were sometimes very 
plenty. He had seen whole swarms of them flying by 
the roadside, but he did n't know their name. They 
hunted about until Rose called them and said they had 
only time to reach home before sunset. 

On the way back they found large bushes of Shad- 
flower in blossom, and the boys carried home handfuls 
of the delicate white flowers. 

After tea Rose arranged all the flowers in two large 
bunches, and Hal carried one of them to Annie. 




THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 37 

CHAPTER VII. 

BUTTERFLY TALK. 

^HEN the class met again, Mr. Benedict asked 
the boys to tell him, as well as they could, 
what they had been able to learn about the 
Papilio Asterias. 

They were all very shy about speaking. 
At last Gilbert said, "Mr. Benedict, there were two de- 
scribed in my book almost alike, and I don't see how we 
are to know them apart." 

"They are very much alike, it is true," said the teacher. 
"The other one is the Papilio Troilus." 

"The only difference I can find," said Gilbert, "is that 
the spot which is blue on the wing of the Asterias butter- 
fly is greenish on the Troilus." 

"I think, Sir," said Hal, "that these butterflies differ in 
the caterpillar instead of the butterfly." 

" The caterpillar ! " said little Frank Mason. " What 
do you mean by the caterpillar ? " 

"My dear Frank," said the teacher, "the caterpillar is 
the baby of the butterfly. It is hatched from the butter- 
fly's eggs, and feeds about on various plants, according to 
its kind, until it is full grown. Then it changes to a 



$8 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

chrysalis, from which, in proper time, the butterfly comes 
forth. Can any one tell me," he added, "what the differ- 
ence is between the caterpillars ? " 

" I can, Sir," said Ben Wait, a rosy, bright-eyed boy 
who sat in the back part of the room. "The caterpillar 
of the Asterias is what we call a Parsley-worm. It is 
green and black. I have often caught it creeping round 
on Parsley and Caraway in our garden. The Troilus cat- 
erpillar I have never seen, but my book says it lives on 
Sassafras-trees, and changes its color four times." 

" That is all correct," said the teacher. " The cater- 
pillar of the Troilus, like many other caterpillars, sheds 
its skin, and takes one of a new color, every week of its 
life. 

"But we will not talk any more about caterpillars now. 
Some evening, when we have not so many specimens, I 
will tell you more about caterpillars and chrysalids. 

" Now we will examine this fine specimen of Papilio 
Asterias. It belongs to the same species as the Turnus 
butterfly, described in our last lesson. Its wings expand 
nearly four inches. Its body is black, with two rows of 
yellow dots on the back. The wings are also black, with 
a broad band of yellow spots extending from the front 
edge of the fore wing to the back part of the hind wing, 
and a row of yellow spots on the margin. The hind 
wings are tailed, and between the band of yellow and 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 39 

the row of yellow spots on the margin are seven blue 
spots. By the side of the blue spot at the hind angle 
is an orange spot, with a black dot in the centre. All 
the spots on the under side are dull orange. The female 
Papilio Asterias has but one row of yellow dots on the 
front wings. 

"This kind of butterfly is most numerous during the 
month of July. You will often find it in your gardens, 
hovering over beds of Parsley and sweet-scented Phlox. 
It deposits its eggs on these plants, and it is there that 
the caterpillar we have already spoken about feeds. It 
often does much mischief by eating the leaves of Parsley 
and Carrots. 

"As the Troilus butterfly resembles the Asterias so 
closely while in the winged state, I will describe it to 
you now. It appears about the middle of June. This 
kind is never very numerous, but perhaps some of you 
will be so fortunate as to find a specimen. The Papilio 
Troilus has but one row of yellow dots, and that is on 
the margin of both the fore and hind wings. The green 
on the hind wings is shaded into the tint of the wing, 
instead of being in distinct spots like the blue in the 
Asterias, and the orange spot has no black dot in the 
centre. The difference between these two butterflies is 
so slight that it is impossible to distinguish one from the 
other when they are on the wing." 



40 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

Some of the boys had brought in specimens of small 
butterflies. Hal had brought those he caught flying round 
the old cellar hole, and when he first came in he had 
laid them on Mr. Benedict's table. 

After finishing his lecture on the Asterias and Troilus, 
the teacher stood looking at these specimens. " If you 
choose to stay beyond the usual hour," said he, " I will 
tell you about a few of these small butterflies." All the 
boys held up their hands to stay, and Mr. Benedict con- 
tinued his lecture. 

"These little butterflies may be found almost all Sum- 
mer. They hover near the ground, and often gather in 
large quantities about Clover and other honey plants. 
They are six-footed, and are generally classed together 
under the name of Lycenians. This small red butterfly 
is one of the prettiest of the group," said the teacher, as 
he held up a box containing a butterfly whose wings ex- 
panded about one inch. " It is very common, and you will 
find it fluttering over the grass in any sunny spot. It is 
called Lycaena Americana, or Amer- 
ican copper butterfly. The fore 
wings are of a brownish-red color, 
with six or seven black spots. The 
hind margin has a broad rim of 

Lycaena Americana. 

dull brown. The hind wings are 
blue brown and have a few small black dots. They are 
bordered on the outer margin with black. 




THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



41 



"This other specimen is called Lycaena Epixanthe. In 
shape and size it is similar to the copper butterfly, but 
all the wings are of a dull brown color, and are marked 
with a few black dots, A few orange 
spots ornament the margin of the 
hind wings. This species is some- 
what rare. It is usually found hov- 
ering over damp meadows and low 
lands, and it does not delight in 
flowers so much as in green grass and sunshine." 




Lycaena Epixanthe. 




42 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

THE RAIL SWAMP. 

^^ NNIE WEBB was sitting one morning at 
the door of her father's farm-house. Her 
mother had arranged the easy-chair in the 
^ front porch so that she could sit and 
listen to the bees humming in the climbing 
rose over the door, while her nimble fingers twisted the 
crotchet needle in and out among the threads of the shawl 
she was knitting for her mother. As she sat working she 
heard the click of the gate-latch, and looking up saw Tom 
Stewart coming up the path. His clothes were spattered 
with mud, and his butterfly net, torn to rags, hung over 
his shoulder. He threw the big bunch of flowers he 
carried down on the path, and seated himself on the 
steps of the porch. 

" Hal had gone to school, and the morning was so 
pleasant, I thought I would try butterfly hunting alone," 
said he, laughing and holding up his torn net. " You see 
what I have caught." 

" Never mind the net, Tom," said Annie. " If you will 
go in and ask mother for a new piece of netting, I will 
cover it for you while we talk." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 43 

Tom went in, and soon returned with a piece of pink net- 
ting, and Annie cut it into the right shape for the hoop. 

"Now tell me," said she, "where you have been." 

"Well," said Tom, "I went into the Rail Swamp and 
found the small butterflies thick enough. Just as I was 
following some little red ones, a blue speck darted past 
me, and I gave chase. It flew over the wall, and I 
tumbled over after it. Then it flew back to the Swamp 
again, and back I went too. The perverse thing fluttered 
back and forth until I had knocked the skin all off my 
knees jumping after it." 

"Johnny says he always waits," said Annie, "until he 
is sure the butterfly really means to go over the wall 
before he follows it. When he sees it fairly start off, then 
he is after it in a hurry." 

" I '11 wait next time, see if I don't ! " said Tom. 

" Did you catch the butterfly after all ? " asked Annie. 

" O no. It suddenly darted off over the swamp, and I 
after it. I splashed through the pool where the Rhodora 
grows and tumbled over the old wall into the next pasture. 
The butterfly had lighted on a bush and sat folding up 
its beautiful blue wings so quietly that I was sure of 
catching it. I plunged forward among the low bushes, 
when suddenly down I went on my knees in a ditch half 
full of muddy water. A branch of a high blueberry-bush 
went through my net and pulled it out of my hand, and 



44 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

when I rubbed the mud out of my eyes and looked round, 
the butterfly had flown away." 

"Then you gave up the butterflies, I fancy, and gathered 
flowers," said Annie. "I did not know the Sweet Vibur- 
num was in blossom." 

" What did you call it, Annie ? Do you mean this large 
branch with joinkish white flowers ? " asked Tom. 

"No, that is Azalea. You gathered that down in the 
Swamp. This Sweet Viburnum grows round the stone 
walls." 

"They are both very pretty flowers," said Tom, "and 
this Azalea smells sweet as Honeysuckle." 

"Azalea is commonly called Swamp Honeysuckle," said 
Annie, " and I think it is the sweetest name. It makes 
one think of the cool, damp places where it grows. See 
how the flowers are crusted over with honey-dew. If you 
handle them they adhere together," and Annie crushed a 
few of the blossoms gently in her hand. 

" Honey-dew ! " said Tom ; " it should be called honey 
glue : see how those blossoms stick together ! The flowers 
are sweeter than the — what did you call it, Annie } " 

" Sweet Viburnum, Tom. Yes, I think the Azalea has 
the sweetest flower, but the shrub is coarser than the Vi- 
burnum." 

By this time the other boys came from school, and Tom 
went home with Hal. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 45 

At the next class meeting the boys brought a large 
collection of small butterflies, and Mr. Benedict said he 
would devote the evening to talking about them. 

" I like the big butterflies best," said little Frank ; " these 
little things are no prettier than wasps and bees." 

" I think wasps and bees are pretty," said the teacher ; 
" and perhaps when we have grown tired of butterflies I 
may tell you something about them. I am sure you would 
be interested to hear about some of the hanging wasp's 
nests with neat little cells inside, or the little mud-wasp 
who fastens his tiny cells to the stems of various plants." 

Frank wanted to hear about these curious things at 
once, but the teacher said the little butterflies were just 
as pretty, and he should save the insects for some other 
time ; so he went on with his lecture. 

"One of the most delicate of all the small butterflies," 
said he, "is the Polyommatus Pseudargiolus. It is a big 
name for such a wee little thing," said the teacher, as the 
boys laughed, "and we will not use it. Such long words 
do not harmonize with such a pretty little creature. We 
will call it the Azure-blue butterfly. Its wings expand 
about one inch, and they are so very delicate that it is 
almost impossible to capture one without injuring it. 
Nothing is prettier than to see it fluttering over flowers 
in the sunshine, looking like a tiny speck of bright blue 
satin. The margin of the wings is of a blackish tint 



4-6 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

or a deeper blue. The wings underneath are of a pearly- 
gray color dotted with black, and on the margin is the 
appearance of fine lace-work. Under a magnifying-glass 
it presents an exquisite appearance. This butterfly is not 
very common. Sometimes I have seen only one or two 
during the whole season. It loves sunny, warm places, 
and as it flies low and is not very shy, it is easily captured. 
It comes out the middle of June. 

" The Polyommatus Lucia butterfly 
resembles the Azure-blue so closely 
that one is scarcely distinguishable 
from the other. The former is a 
little the smaller, and of a more 

Polyommatus Lucia. 

purplish blue. The black border on 

the fore wings is not quite so broad, and the black spots 
on the under side are a little larger. This butterfly may 
be found all Summer, hovering over the low bushes in 
our pastures. It is not very common. 

"There is one more of the genus Polyommatus which 
you can easily distinguish from those I have already de- 
scribed by a little fine tail on the hind wings. The wings 
are violet blue, with black dots on the hind margin. On 
the hind pair near the edge are two orange-colored cres- 
cents. On the under side the wings are gray, marked with 
black dots, and the two orange-colored spots have a black 
centre surrounded with a blue ring. This butterfly, which 




THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 47 

is called the Polyommatus Comyntas, expands its wings 
about one inch. It lives in dry woods. You will not find 
it before July, but I mention it now because it belongs 
to the same genus as the two you have brought in." 

" Mr. Benedict," said Frank, " I 'm so tired of all these 
little butterflies. I 'd rather hear about the mud-wasps." 

"In the next lesson, Frank, I will tell you about a 
beautiful large butterfly, but now you must listen patiently 
to the description of these little ones. There are many 
small butterflies," the teacher continued, "belonging to the 
genus Thecla. Their hind wings are tailed, and there are 
some other peculiarities by which you can readily distin- 
guish them. If you are interested to learn more about 
them, you will find a full description in your book. Their 
color is a dull brown of various shades marked in some 
of the varieties with specks of white or blue. They expand 
about an inch. The caterpillar of the Thecla is often 
injurious to vegetation. Hop-vines, for instance, are some- 
times entirely ruined by that of the Thecla Humuli. 

"For our next lesson we will take one of the largest 
butterflies that is seen on the wing during the Summer. 
It is not very common, and, as I doubt very much whether 
you will find one, I will bring a specimen from my own 
Cabinet." 

"Do all butterflies belonging to the genus Thecla have 
tailed wings .'' " asked Hal. 



48 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

"No," replied the teacher, "not all. On a few of them 
the wings are notched. Perhaps you would think them 
fringed, but you will soon learn the difference. You will 
probably find some of the Thecla butterflies, for they are 
quite common, and fly all Summer. There is one thing 
more by which you may distinguish them from the genus 
Polyommatus. The knobs on the antennae are longer. 
The caterpillars are different in several points, but I don't 
think any of you will be interested in the study of cater- 
pillars at present." 

" I want to learn about them, Mr. Benedict," said Gil- 
bert. " I wish you would give us that lesson you promised 
about the caterpillars and chrysalids. I am sometimes 
puzzled when you refer to these things." 

Almost all the boys joined with Gilbert in asking Mr. 
Benedict to give them a lesson on the young of the but- 
terfly. 

"Very well," said he, "I will take that for the subject 
of the next lesson, and leave the large butterfly I told you 
about for some other time." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



49 



CHAPTER IX. 




CATERPILLARS AND CHRYSALIDS. 



HEN Mr. Benedict met the class again 
he commenced as follows : — 

"No insect is so injurious to vege- 
tation as the caterpillar, the young of 
the butterfly and moth. There have 
been many hundred varieties of these caterpillars discov- 
ered, but at present it is necessary for you to know about 
a very few of them only. If any of you, by this small 
beginning, acquire a love of the study, you will find books 
and teachers to instruct you, as you grow older, in all the 
details of the science. To-day I am only going to tell you 
a few of the most common things about caterpillars and 
chrysalids. 

The butterfly or moth, in its winged state, deposits its 
eggs on different kinds of trees and plants. Instinct teaches 
it just what leaves its young will require for food ; for when 
the caterpillar first leaves the egg it is so small and weak, 
that it is necessary that food should be supplied at once. 
As . soon as it is born the caterpillar commences eating 
eagerly, and increases in size very rapidly. It almost 
always remains through its short life on the tree or 



50 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

shrub on which it first makes its appearance. In size 
and color caterpillars differ greatly from each other. They 
are of all tints, from dull gray or brown to the most 
brilliant combinations of green, red, and yellow. The cat- 
erpillars of the moth are almost always larger than those 
of our common butterflies, some of them measuring three 
and four inches in length. Many species are covered with 
warts and bristles, and present a very ugly appearance. 

" A caterpillar changes its skin several times, each time 
generally assuming a coat of a new color. Some cater- 
pillars are born black, and after appearing in dresses of 
white, red, and orange, finally end their existence in a 
delicate coat of pea-green. Before each change the cater- 
pillar leaves off eating and remains motionless a certain 
length of time. It sometimes suspends itself from a twig 
by a slight web, where it hangs until the old and dry 
skin crackles open along the back, when by various twist- 
ings and turnings the caterpillar frees itself from its old 
coat, and crawls off to commence eating again.. 

"When the caterpillar is full grown and ready to assume 
the pupa or chrysalis state, it seeks out a place of conceal- 
ment and fastens itself to the under surface of some object, 
where it usually hangs by the hind legs. The skin then 
parts on the back and the covering of the chrysalis is 
formed by the drying and hardening of a transparent fluid 
immediately under the skin. The insect then appears as 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 5 I 

a lifeless, oblong body with no distinct head or limbs. 
These chrysalids have a hard, polished outside, and are 
often very rich in color. Some are green or yellow, others 
rich brown. Some caterpillars of the moth spin themselves 
up in a web which they fasten to a twig or the under 
side of a leaf, and within this web form a cocoon. Others 
go into the ground, and there pass through the transfor- 
mation." 

" Could n't we catch the caterpillars, and watch the 
change .'' " asked Gilbert. 

" You can at least try," replied the teacher. " I have 
made many experiments in that way, and some have 
proved successful. Once, about midsummer, I captured 
some jTairy, brown caterpillars and placed them on my 
writing-table under glasses. Two of them died, but the 
third made himself very much at home, and went to work 
at once to prepare his little shroud. He nestled down on 
the board upon which the glass stood, and threw up a 
thin web which completely covered him. It was at first 
so very thin as to be almost invisible, but the caterpillar 
thickened it by degrees until at last he was visible only 
as a tiny dark spot in the centre. 

"As a general thing my experiments have proved most 
successful when the caterpillars have been placed in a dark 
box. I remember once bringing in a box full of caterpil- 
lars of various kinds, and forgetting all about them for 



52 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

some time. When I at last opened the box it was stuck 
all over with tiny chrysalids. In time these chrysalids all 
burst and Httle moths of different sorts came out of them. 

*' For some kinds of caterpillars it is necessary to provide 
earth in which they can bury themselves. I once brought 
in two small caterpillars from the grape-vine. They were 
shut up with some grape-vine leaves, but on opening the 
box in a few days I found them both dead. Shortly after- 
wards I captured three more of the same kind. These I 
placed in a box containing about four inches of earth. 
The next day on removing the cover of the box I found 
the caterpillars had all disappeared. After waiting seven 
or eight days I carefully dug up the earth. There, snugly 
stowed away under the surface, were three neat brown 
chrysalids. 

''You will meet with many discouragements in trying 
these experiments, for your specimens will often die. Un- 
less the caterpillar is just on the point of transformation 
when captured, it must be fed, and it is sometimes im- 
possible, when the caterpillar is of a kind whose habits 
are not well known, to satisfy the fastidious taste of the 
little creature. 

"The pupa state is the second period of the butterfly's 
existence. Its duration depends much .on external circum- 
stances. If the change in the caterpillar takes place during 
hot weather the butterfly will often appear in two or three 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 53 

weeks, but if the pupa state occurs late in the Autumn, 
the chrysahs will remain closed until the following Sum- 
mer. Sometimes when I have found chrysalids and kept 
them in a warm room, the butterfly has appeared in the 
middle of Winter. When the time for the change comes, 
the chrysalis swells and bursts, and from out of the dry 
husk the butterfly creeps forth and enters upon the third 
and last period of its existence. At first its wings are 
damp and crumpled. It perches on its old home until 
the air has dried and strengthened them, and then flies 
away to enjoy its short life in fluttering about from flower 
to flower. 

"I don't think of anything more I can say that would 
interest you at present. If any of you wish to study the 
subject more carefully, you can turn to your books. There 
you will find many interesting details about the color, size, 
and habits of the caterpillars of different butterflies, and 
about the various ways in which they become chrysalids, 
assuming the appearance of utter lifelessness, while retain- 
ing the germ of life within. If any of you have any 
questions to ask," said the teacher, in conclusion, " I shall 
be very glad to answer them." 

"I should like to know if the butterflies eat leaves, like 
the caterpillars ? " asked Frank, who had amused himself 
by swinging his little feet back and forth all the while 
the teacher had been talking. 



54 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

"O no, Frank. The butterfly has no big jaws Uke the 
caterpillar, but a little slender tongue, by means of which 
it sucks up honey from the flowers. It never does any 
mischief 

"I 'm glad of that," said Frank, "for I love the butter- 
flies. The old, prickly caterpillars I hate, and I never 
thought they were anything but just caterpillars. I know 
little birds are little birds, but I don't see how caterpillars 
can be little butterflies." 

" Well, Frank," said Mr. Benedict, " I am going to tell 
you something now that I think will please you. The 
woods are very pleasant and dry, and I think that some 
day next week we will have our picnic at the Den Rocks. 
I am going to invite the girls belonging to the Botany 
class to join us ; and, boys," he continued, " I want you 
to arrange with your sisters about carrying some baskets 
of luncheon, for you will all be hungry after a good frolic 
about the Rocks. I think that you would better meet 
some day after school and we will decide about all the 
arrangements. Next Wednesday will be a good day to go, 
because then we shall have to break up school for only 
half of the day." 

Mr. Benedict dismissed the class, and as the boys left 
the school-room they formed themselves into little groups 
and went away, all talking eagerly about the picnic. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



55 




CHAPTER X. 

THE DEN ROCKS. 

HE next day, after school, Gilbert called 

all the boys and girls to a meeting on 

the green in front of the school-house. 

Gilbert 'was older than the other boys, 

and being a generous-hearted, manly 

fellow, was their acknov/ledged leader. 

" May I come to the meeting, too ^ " asked httle Frank, 

as he came out of the school-house with his satchel on his 

arm. 

'' O yes, Frank, of course we could n't do anything with- 
out you," said Gilbert, laughing. 

"There is one thing I want you all to promise," said 
Frank, very soberly. 

" What is it .'* " said all the boys at once, for Frank was 
a general favorite, 

" I will tell you. I want you all to promise not to 
catch and bring in any of those horrid young butterflies 
that the teacher told us about last night." 

All the boys joined in a laugh at this, and Gilbert said, 
" No, Frank, we will not throw our nets for a single one 
of them." 



56 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

"But, Frank," said Johnny Webb, these caterpillars that 
you dislike so much are not young butterflies any more 
than eggs are young turkeys." 

"I don't believe they are, either, only the teacher said 
they were the young of the butterfly, and I don't see any^ 
other young butterflies ; for after they get their wings they 
never grow any." 

" Mr. Benedict wants us all to meet in the grove at the 
Den Rocks next Wednesday morning at eleven o'clock," 
said Gilbert, "and we must make some arrangement about 
what we shall take for our lunch, so that all may not bring 
the same thing." 

" Yes, we must have everything right about the table," 
said Ben Wait ; " we boys shall be hungry as bears." 

"We shall not want any table," said Jennie Graham. 
"It will be nicer to spread the things on the Rock in 
the shade of the great Oak-tree." 

" O, I did n't mean a wooden table," said Ben. " The 
Rock will be best for the table and the seats too, but 
the cakes and sandwiches are what I was thinking about." 

"Now, Ben," said Rose Merton, "you must leave all that 
to us girls, and I promise that you won't go hungry." 

"Johnny, will Annie be well enough to go with us.?" 
asked one of the other girls. 

"I don't know," said Johnny. "Annie's foot is so lame 
now that she cannot use it at all. But mother said, if it was 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 5/ 

a very pleasant day, Annie should ride to the grove aYid 
see us." 

" I '11 carry father's large camp-chair in the wagon," said 
Hal, "and we can stand it under the Oak and put Annie 
in it. It will be just as comfortable as her lounge at 
home." 

" I don't think we have anything *more to do," said 
Gilbert. "As Rose says, it will be best to* leave the 
preparation of the baskets to the girls, while we boys 
will visit the Rock and see that everything there is in 
order." 

The children then separated and went home. 

After what seemed a long time to the impatient young 
folks, the day for the picnic arrived. To their great de- 
light it was clear and sunny. Early in the morning the 
boys went to the Rock to arrange everything in nice 
order before it was time for the girls to come. 

The Den Rocks was a perfect place for a picnic. It 
was a huge granite ledge, full of rents and fissures. On 
the top of the Rock was a large, grassy space, and it was 
here the Oak-tree grew. On one side the ground sloped 
gently into a grove of Birch and Maple, while on the other 
the bare rock descended about fifty feet, forming a per- 
pendicular wall for one side of the open grassy ground at 
its base. On this grassy space were tumbled large pieces 
of rock, which had fallen from time to time from the ledge 



58 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

above. They were covered with brambles and Woodbine, 
and spotted with brilHant moss. Near the Rock on one 
side was a forest of large White Pine-trees, and a little 
distance off was a spring of clear, cool water, round which 
had been built a wall of stones from the ledo'e. 

There was an opening at the foot of the Rock which 
was called the Den.« It was formed by a large piece which 
had fallen down and lay leaned up against the main ledge. 
The Den was large enough for several children to stand 
up in, and sometimes when the boys were there alone, 
they built a fire in it and roasted corn. There were 
cracks in the rock above, through which the smoke would 
curl up, and the boys at such times called it Robinson 
Crusoe's oven. 

It was not a very hard matter for the boys to prepare 
the Rock for the picnic. They cleared away all the rub- 
bish, dried leaves, dead branches, and other things which 
had collected on the top of the Rock, and then brought 
some branches of Maple and Poplar from the woods. With 
these they made a very pretty green arbor, in which they 
placed the chair for Annie. Here she could sit and watch 
the frolics of her young friends. It was a rude arbor, but 
when the boys finished their work and looked at it, they 
thought it was nice enough for a Princess. 

" Maggie came last night," said Tom to Johnny, as the 
boys sat together resting after their work. ** Rose wrote 
for her to come to the picnic, you know." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 59 

" How glad Annie will be to see her," said Johnny. 
"She always encourages Annie by telling her that some 
day her foot will be well, so that she can walk." 

Maggie was Tom's sister. She was several years older 
than he was. The year before, she had visited her cousin 
Rose, and had become a general favorite with all the 
young folks in the village. 

By and by girls' voices were heard, and soon the boys 
saw Rose and Maggie standing at the foot of the steep 
path which wound up on one side of the Rock. On the 
other side, the Rock could be reached by a carriage path, 
but the children almost always chose the steep way. 
They liked the fun of climbing up on the roots and 
clinging to the branches to keep from sliding back. Rose 
and Maggie carried httle baskets, and Johnny and Hal 
swung themselves down the path to bring them up. The 
girls followed, and soon they were all on the top of the 
Rock. 

" How pretty it is here," said Maggie. " Rose, let us 
imagine ourselves Fairy Queens, and these boys here shall 
be our imps in waiting." 

The boys took off their caps and freely offered them- 
selves as humble slaves. 

Pretty soon the other girls came trooping to the summit 
of the Rock. They all brought little baskets, which Gilbert 
received and placed together under a clump of Poplars. 



60 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

Before long the sound of wheels was heard, and Annie's 
father soon stopped his carriage just off from the Rock. 
He lifted Annie out very carefully, and brought her to 
the chair. The boys carried her shawls and the cricket 
for her foot, and she was soon comfortably seated. 

" Now, darling Annie," said Maggie, coming forward, 
"I 'm so glad to see you." 

" O Maggie, have you come at last ? " said Annie, her 
pale, pretty face beaming with pleasure. Then turning to 
all the young folks standing round, she added : " How very 
kind it was of you all to want me with you to-day. This 
sweet forest air makes me feel almost well. Sometimes 
this last Winter I have thought I should never live to see 
the woods again." 

" Nonsense, Annie ! " said Maggie. " I believe that some 
time you will be as well as any of us." 

"Let us choose Annie for the Queen of the day," said 
Gilbert. 

"O yes!" cried all the children, "Annie shall be Queen. 
Long live Queen Annie ! " 

Rose stepped forward and laid a crown of Oak-leaves 
on Annie's head. 

"Now," said Annie, "I will name my attendant sprites. 
Here Ariel, Cobweb, Silver Star, Lightfoot, Morning Dew — " 

''What am I.?" said little Frank. 

" You are Puck, of course, you little mischief Go, see 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 6 1 

how many flowers you can crush with your tiny foot, or 
how many poor butterflies you can worry out of Ufe ; only, 
if you should happen to find a big one, don't ride ofl" 
upon it, and leave us forlorn." 

Frank fairly turned a somerset with delight, and scam- 
pored ofl" among the Birches. All the others soon followed 
him, the boys carrying butterfly-nets and the girls little 
tin boxes and baskets for flowers. Maggie remained with 
Annie, and when all the rest were gone, she sat down on 
the grass, and the two girls talked over all that had 
happened since they parted. Maggie mentioned Annie's 
lameness. " I do believe," said she, " that if Dr. Grey 
could see you, he would be able to cure you. He has 
done so many wonderful things of that kind." 

" I am afraid to hope for any such thing," said Annie, 
"only I cannot help thinking how nice it would be if I 
could walk just a little, if only enough to save mother 
from waiting upon me so much." 

While the girls were talking, Mr. Benedict came climbing 
up the rock, carrying his net, and an armful of branches 
covered with large Oak-leaves. He saw the girls, and 
came over to where they were sitting. 

" I brought these leaves for you to make berry-cups of," 
said he. " By running the stems through the points of 
the leaf, you can make very nice cups for the young folks 
to use at their lunch." 



62 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

" We will braid some wreaths, too, to put round the plates 
of cake and bread and butter," said Annie ; and, while 
waiting for the return of the party, the two girls braided 
long wreaths of the bright, shining leaves. 

" The boys are on their way back to the Rock," said 
Mr. Benedict, "and all clamoring for cakes. They have 
been all through the woods and down by the river. Here 
they come." 

The boys were all talking and laughing as they came 
out of the woods. Close behind them came the girls 
carrying their baskets heaped with flowers. 

" Now," said Queen Annie, " the boys may bring the 
baskets, and the girls shall arrange the table." 

When the baskets were brought, Annie commanded the 
boys to take the pails and bring water from the spring. 
While they were gone, the girls opened the baskets. They 
laid pieces of clean paper on the rock, and put the eata- 
bles upon them. There were tarts and cakes and thin 
slices of bread and butter, and sandwiches, and a great 
basket of berries. Over the contents of the "dishes," as 
the girls said, they laid covers of paper. Then Maggie 
brought the Oak-wreaths and twisted them round among 
the "dishes" until all the girls pronounced the table per- 
fect. 

" Don't you think some of your flowers would look pretty, 
too ? " said Annie. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 63 

"O yes!" said Jennie Graham, "let 's use some of the 
flowers ! " 

The girls all seized bunches of flowers, and the bright 
blossoms fluttered from their hands over the table until 
it looked like a garden. 

" That will do," said Rose. " Now for the Queen." 

She took her hands full of flowers and strewed them 
all over Annie. They fluttered down, catching in her hair 
and falling all around her. She sat fairly crowned Queen 
of the Feast. Then they heard the boys coming back 
with the pails of water, and Annie told the girls to lift 
the paper covers that all the tempting things might be 
displayed to the hungry company. 

" Now, girls, that 's too inviting," said Ben. " I move we 
begin." 

" I second the motion," said Hal, as he seized a sand- 
wich and a tart, which he laid on a piece of paper and, 
kneeling on one knee, offered to the Queen. That was 
a signal for a general rush. When each had taken his 
share, they all lay down on the rock, or stood about 
Annie's seat while they enjoyed the dainties. 

•' I move a general vote of thanks to the girls," said Ben, 
when they had finished. 

"Three times three for the girls," said Gilbert, and the 
boys made the forest ring with their shouts. 

"As I promised to describe the large butterfly to you, 



64 • THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

I have brought my specimen with me," said Mr. Benedict, 
taking his box from his pocket ; " but as the girls are with 
us to-day, perhaps you would prefer to get up some game 
to pass the time which remains before we must return 
home." 

. "Please to give us a butterfly lesson, Mr. Benedict," said 
Annie. 

"Annie is Queen of the Day. Shall we follow her com- 
mands ? " said the teacher. 

There was a general murmur of assent from both girls 
and boys, and the teacher commenced. 

■ " Have any of you seen or caught this butterfly ? " he 
asked, as he held up the large, bright gold-colored insect 
for them all to see. 

"I have seen them. Sir," said Hal, "but not this Sum- 
mer. I have caught them, too, but they were so strong 
they always got away from me." 

" Was the butterfly stronger than you were, Hal } " 
asked little Frank. 

"Why, Frank, I did n't hold it as tight as I would a 
squirrel, which has only soft fur, instead of delicate brittle 
wings." 

"Hal is right," said the teacher. "I know of no butterfly 
that takes such strong hold of one's fingers with his feet 
as the Archippus. It is so strong that, without ether, it 
is disagreeable work to subdue it. The Archippus is the 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



6s 



largest butterfly we have. Its wings expand from three to 
four and a half inches. It is not so gaudy in color as 
some others are. The wings are tawny orange, and very 




Archippus. 



beautifully bordered with black dotted with white. The 
wings are crossed by fine black veins, and on the tip of 
the fore wing are several yellow and white spots extending 
up on to the front border. The under side of the wings 
is of a deep yellow, bordered and veined the same as the 
upper side. The head and thorax are black spotted with 
white, and the antennae have a long knob. The males 
of the Archippus are marked by an elevated black spot 
on one of the veins near the centre of the hind wing. 



66 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

This large butterfly belongs to the genus Danais. It is 
fond of hovering round Asclepias, the common Silk-weed, 
and deposits its eggs on this plant. It appears about the 
middle of July and may be found all through the month 
of September. It is very strong on the wing, and you 
will often have a long chase after it ; but fine specimens 
are worthy of pursuit. I hope some one of you will suc- 
ceed in catching one." 

" See here," said little Frank, coming eagerly forward 
and handing to the teacher a butterfly almost the same 
as the Archippus, only much smaller. 

" Why, Frank, you are a smart boy. Where did you 
find that .? " 

" Flying about in the great Willow down by the river. 
I waited there a long time for it to come within reach 
of my net. Is n't it just like the one you have been 
talking about ? " 

" No, it is a little different, and I will show you in what 
respects. It is so much like the Archippus that any of 
you might have taken it for that. But this is the Nym- 
phalis Disippe, and it belongs to a different genus. In 
the caterpillar and chrysalis state it is entirely different. 
You see the butterflies are exactly the same in color and 
in the marking, except that this one has a band across 
the hind wing, above the border. Its wings expand a 
little over three inches. The genus Nymphalis, to which 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 6/ 

this butterfly belongs, are all four-footed. The edges of 
the wings are scalloped instead of being notched or tailed, 
and there is no elevated spot on the hind wing of the 




Nymphalis Disippe. 

male. This Disippe butterfly may be found on the wing 
.from the middle of July until October. It deposits its 
eggs on Poplars and Willows, where you will often find 
the brown caterpillar creeping about. 

"There is one more of this genus which we will take 
for our next lesson. It is very beautiful and entirely dif- 
ferent in color from the one we have just described. It 
is not very common, but it will be on the wing about 
this time, and I think you will find it if you hunt care- 
fully about the borders of some woodland. It is particu- 
larly fond of the Scrub-Oak. 

"Before we meet again I wish you would try to find 



68 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

some of the chrysalids we talked about at the last lesson. 
Frank, they will interest you more than the caterpillars." 

" Yes, Sir, they will. But where shall I look for them > " 
said Frank. 

"O, in different places. Sometimes you will find them 
attached to old dead branches by a silken thread, or hid 
away in snug places round fences and stone walls. The 
chrysalids of the moths, that we shall study about when 
we have finished the butterflies, are often found in the 
ground. The Philodice chrysalis you will find in Clover 
fields suspended to the stalks of Clover or spires of grass. 
It is of a straw color." 

" I am going to hunt for some of them," said Frank, 
*'and I know a girl," he added, laughing and looking to- 
ward the Queen, "who is making a collection. She has 
a whole box full." 

" Do you mean Annie ? " asked Mr. Benedict, turning 
towards her. 

" I have a few," said Annie, " that Johnny and Hal have 
brought me." 

" I found some of them," said Johnny, " when I turned 
up the earth in making Annie's garden in the Spring. 
We had not commenced studying then, but they were so 
pretty and shining I carried them in for her to keep." 

" Have any butterflies come out yet ? " asked the teacher. 

" No, Sir," said Annie. Then she added timidly, " If I 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 69 

let Johnny take them to school would you please tell him 
what they are and how I am to take care of them ? " 

" You need not do that, Annie," said he. " I will come 
myself and see them. If you will carry all you find to 
Annie," said he, addressing the class, " I will tell her what 
they are and show her how to preserve them." 

Annie's father and mother had been waiting some time 
for Mr. Benedict to finish his instruction, before they car- 
ried the young girl to the carriage. Now the girls al] 
gathered around Annie and kissed her. She seemed to feel 
so much better for the day in the woods, that they all 
resolved that she should be there with them again before 
long. 

It was now sunset, and the young folks gathered up 
their baskets and walked slowly toward the village. 




/O , THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

CHAPTER XI. 

AN EVENING WITH ANNIE WEBB. 

HE evening before Maggie's return to the city 
she went with Rose, Hal, and Tom to bid 
Annie good by. 

"Maggie," said Tom, as they walked down 
the hill, "don't you tell father how stout and 
brown I have grown, for I 'm afraid he will 
think I am well enough to go back to the old, dry school 
again." 

On hearing this speech, Hal gave a loud laugh. 
"What are you laughing at. Sir.?" said Tom. 
"O, I was only remembering the doleful face you 
brought out under the Elm the first morning after you 
came here. You thought the country was horrible, and 
now you find the old, dry schools are in the city." 

"Don't you dare to laugh at me," said Tom. '^ I have 
been ashamed of that morning ever since. But we do 
have some nice things in the city, and next Winter you 
must come and see for yourself. You have nothing here 
then." 

" Nothing } O Tom ! You ought to see Johnny and me 
sliding down the side of the Mountain some day when the 
crust is firm." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. /I 

"O well, we slide down hill in the city, and skate, too, 
although our sliding places are not as grand as the Moun- 
tain." 

"Then sometimes we have a long, drifting snow-storm," 
said Hal, "and when it is over we shovel paths and build 
snow-forts and have grand snowball battles. Then is when 
we have our real fun. The Summer sports, butterfly-hunt- 
ing and the like, are nothing but girls' play." 

" I don't think it was girls' play yesterday, Hal," said 
Maggie, "when you were chasing that Archippus butterfl};. 
Rose and I were sitting under the trees, and we could see 
you rolling over walls and stumbling over rocks, and then 
when you finally came back to the house you were spat- 
tered all over with mud." 

" I caught the Archippus, though," said Hal, " so the 
mud did n't matter. It was rough work, to be sure." 

Before they reached Mr. Webb's house they met Mr. 
Benedict, who was also going to see Annie. 

" I have lost the moths which came out of these small 
straw-colored cocoons," said Annie, when Mr. Benedict in- 
quired about the chrysalids. "I did not think it was time 
for any of them to come out, so I left the box cover off 
one day and away they flew." 

" It will be safer to keep your box closed," said the 
teacher, "for they may break the doors of their prison- 
house at any time. I am glad your box is large ; it gives 



'JZ THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

the insects room to expand their wings. These you have 
lost were the moths of the Lackey caterpillar. Their 
wings are reddish-brown, crossed by two dingy white lines. 
You will find them every evening now, flying about your 
room, if you leave your window open after the lights are 
brought in. They are the moths which leave their eggs 
on the apple-trees. The caterpillars are often very nu- 
merous, and, unless destroyed by the farmer, they prove a 
great injury to the fruit. 

• "That delicate gray chrysalis contains the Vanessa 
Comma butterfly. Where did you get it } " 

"Johnny found it on the Hop-vine back of the house," 
replied Annie, "and this dark-brown one Tom brought 
me yesterday. He took it from an old branch of a Willow." 

"That is the chrysalis of the Vanessa Antiopa, which 
the boys will remember we had specimens of in the early 
Spring," said Mr. Benedict. "That chrysalis," pointing to 
one about two inches long, of a rich brown color, and 
covered with little points, "is as valuable as any you 
have. It contains the large yellow moth called Dryocampa 
Imperialis. I am afraid it is dead, for it is late in the 
season for it to come out. It generally appears by the 
first of July." 

"Johnny dug that chrysalis out of the ground last 
Spring," said Annie. 

Just then Johnny came into the room with his butterfly 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 73 

box in his hand. He opened it and showed its gorgeous 
contents. " It was so sunny to-day," said he, " that the 
fields were full of butterflies. I never saw so many before. 
Shall I bring them all to the class to-morrow ? " 

"Yes, bring them all," said the teacher, "and I will tell 
you about as many as I can." 

He wished Annie good evening, and went away ; but 
the young folks sat a long time together, for Annie was 
very unwilling to bid her friend good by. Before Maggie 
left she had made Mr. Webb promise to send for Dr. 
Grey to examine Annie's foot, and as she was going away 
she looked back to Annie and said : " Now keep up a 
good heart. I shall come again in the Autumn when you 
have the Festival, and I expect to find you walking about 
like all the rest of us." 

" She is the dearest girl in the world," said Annie that 
night to her mother. "I think she really believes I shall 
get well.'' 

"We all hope so, too, my darling," said her mother, as 
she kissed her good night. 



74 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



CHAPTER XII, 




JULY BUTTERFLIES. 

HIS bright warm month of July is the 
gala-day for the butterfly," said Mr. Ben- 
edict, as he opened the class on the 
evening following Maggie's departure. 
"You boys have been very industrious with your nets," he 
added, as he looked at his table, which was quite covered 
with boxes of specimens. "You have found valuable speci- 
mens of many large varieties. Most of these butterflies 
have just left the chrysalis, their wings are perfect and 
very fresh in color. At the picnic I promised to tell you 
about the other butterfly belonging to the genus Nympha- 
lis. I was afraid no one would find a specimen, so I 
brought one from my Cabinet ; but I see Ben has found 
one much finer than mine. I shall use his to illustrate 
my description. It is called the Nymphalis Ephestion. 
Although belonging to the same genus as the Disippe 
butterfly, it is entirely diflerent in color. The chrysalids 
of both butterflies are precisely the same in appearance ; 
but while the Disippe rises from its dry shell with a 
gorgeous dress of orange and black, the more modest 
Ephestion is clothed in blue-black. A beautiful tint of 



^ 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 75 



glossy blue is spread over the hind wings. The wings are 
scalloped with a white edge. The hind margins are or- 
namented with three black lines. Near the edge of the 




Nymphalis Ephestion. 

fore wing are some little white dots, and within the border 
some spots of an orange color. These orange spots are 
often very faint on the upper side of the wing, but on 
the under side you can see them very distinctly. The 
Ephestion butterfly expands from three to four inches. 
You will find it on the wing any time in July or August, 
but it is not very common. 

"Here are four different specimens of the genus Ar- 
gynnis," said the teacher ; but just then the door opened 
and little Frank came tripping in. "Well, Frank, where 
have you been .'' We have half finished our lesson without 
you." 

" We had supper so late," said Frank, " that I could n't 



76 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



come any earlier. My mamma said I would better not 
come at all, but I had this butterfly I wanted to bring 
you." 

"This is a Hunter's butterfly, Frank. It is very early 
in the season for it to appear. As there are several but- 
terflies belonging to the genus Argynnis, of which I wish 
to tell you this evening, I will keep Frank's butterfly for 
the next lesson. 

" The under side of the wings of butterflies belonging 
to the genus Argynnis are almost invariably ornamented 




Argynnis Idalia. 



with silvery spots. This butterfly, which is called Argynnis 
Idalia, has a row of silvery crescent-shaped spots, just 
within the black margin on the under side of the wings." 
He turned the butterfly so that all the boys could see the 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. JJ 

under side. "The upper side of this butterfly is very 
beautiful. Its fore wings, which expand more than three 
inches, are of a dusky orange, spotted with black. The 
black border on the edge is ornamented on the inside with 
points and on the outside by a row of white spots. The 
hind wings are of a beautiful blue-black, which shows very 
brilliant in the sunlight. On the hind border are two rows 
of light fawn-colored spots. In the males the outer row 
of spots is the same color as the fore wings. This butter- 
fly is found in grass fields and among bushes by the road- 
side, all through July and August." 

" I think this butterfly with blue-black wings is the 
handsomest one the teacher has told us about," said Tom, 
as Mr. Benedict stopped to give the boys a little recess. 

" Which one do you mean } " asked Hal. " The Ephes- 
tion and Idalia both have blue-black wings." 

"I mean the Idalia," replied Tom, "which has only the 
hind wings black. This is the first butterfly I ever saw 
with wings of different colors. Only see how pretty the 
orange and black look together." 

The boys were all gathered round Mr. Benedict's table, 
for during recess he liked to have them come and examine 
the butterflies and ask him questions about them. 

"Only see the under side," said .Hal, taking up the 
Idalia butterfly. " How beautiful the silvery spots show 
on that deep black." 



78 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

" I caught some butterflies like this in my hat last Sum- 
mer," said Johnny. "As I did n't care to keep them then, 
I carried the wings to Annie and she arranged them with 
some pressed flowers in her Herbarium." 

After about ten minutes, the teacher called the boys to 
take their seats. 




Argynnis Aphrodite. 

" Here," said he, "is a large butterfly called Argynnis 
Aphrodite. The wings are tawny orange and shaded very 
dark near the body. The male is much lighter in color 
than the female. There is a fine black line near the hind 
margin of the wings, within which is a row of black cres- 
cent-shaped spots. The remainder of the wings is spotted 
irregularly with black. The under side of the hind wings 
is covered with bright silvery spots, peculiar to this genus. 
On the under side of the fore wings there are only a few 
silvery spots, and these are on the front margin. The 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 79 

Aphrodite butterfly expands over three inches. It first 
appears in the month of July, and flies about in the mead- 
ows all through August. By the first of September you 
will find it faded and weak, trying in vain to raise itself 
above the low shrubs growing close to the ground. You 
will not find any more butterflies as large as this, except 
some of the varieties I have already described to you, 
many of which linger round the fields all through the 
month of August. The genus Cynthia, to which Frank's 
Hunter's butterfly belongs, possesses some of very good 
size, but none as large as the Aphrodite butterfly. 

" Here are two smaller butterflies belonging to the genus 
Argynnis. They resemble each other so closely that with- 
out special attention you cannot distinguish them apart. 
This one is the Argynnis Myrina. You see it is very small, 
expanding less than two inches, but the same in color as 
the Aphrodite butterfly I have just described, the wings 
being of tawny orange, and marked in the same manner, 
except that on the hind wings of the Myrina butterfly are 
some black lines. The under side of the wings are paler 
in color, but marked with the silvery spots arranged in 
rows. There is a row of black dots between the two 
outer rows of silver. This little butterfly may be found 
in low grounds all through the Summer. There are two 
broods. The first leaves the chrysalis about the first of 
June, and some of these are still hovering about when the 



80 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

second brood begins to make its appearance, which is 
about the first of August. This other small butterfly is 
called Argynnis Bellona. It closely resembles the Myrina 
butterfly in shape and color. The Bellona, however, is a 
shade richer in color, and the under side of the wings is 
of a purplish tint. The chief distinction, and indeed the 
only one which can be positively determined, is that 
the Bellona butterfly lacks the silvery spots on the under 
side of the wings. The antennae of the genus Argynnis 
spread apart, and the knobs are thick and short. There 
are also some peculiarities in the caterpillar which distin- 
guish this species, but I don't think any of you will be 
interested to learn about them at present. I know our 
young friend Frank will not. 

" Here is one more small butterfly which Johnny Webb 
has brought in. It is not of the genus of which I have 
been speaking, but, as I do not think you will find any 
more of the genus to which this belongs, I will add it to 
the lesson to-day. 

"Annie caught that butterfly. Sir," said Johnny. "She 
was sitting in her seat in the garden and it lighted on 
some flowers which were lying on the seat. She caught 
it in her handkerchief" 

"You must remember the name of it and tell Annie 
when you go home," said the teacher. " It is the Melitaea 
Pharos, and is the only one of the genus Melitaea which 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



is common. The wings are dusky orange. There is a 
broad black border on the hind wing, with a wavy line 
of black just inside. Inside of this is a row of fine black 
dots. The rest of the wing is 
marked by narrow black lines and 
blotches. Underneath the wings 
are of a buff color, and marked 
with black lines and blotches the 
same as above. This little butter- 
fly expands one inch and a half." 

The teacher here finished his lecture, and the boys all 
put away their pencils and note-books, and passed quietly 
out of the school-house. 




Melitaea Pharos. 



82 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



CHAPTER XIII. 




THE HAY-FIELD. 

NE Saturday morning Rose, Hal, and Tom were 
sitting out under the Elm talking about the 
Butterfly Festival, which was to take place in 
the Autumn. Maggie was coming up from 
the city to go with them, and after it was all 
over Tom was to return home with his sister. 
There were still two months before they would have the 
Festival, but the young folks had already commenced lay- 
ing many plans to be carried out when the grand frolic 

took place. 

'•We ought to have a Queen butterfly," said Rose, "and 
the game should be for you boys to try to capture her." 

"We must have grand new nets for that," said Tom. 
" It would never do to throw the old nets we have dragged 
through mud and briers all Summer over the head of the 
Queen." 

"Perhaps you won't catch her with a net at all," said 

Rose. 

" What shall we catch her with .? Come, Rose, tell us," 

said Hal. 

Rose shook her head and looked very mysterious. The 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 83 

boys knew that the girls had some secret plans about the 
Festival, so they tried their best to tease Rose to tell 
about them. Just then they saw a bristHng array of 
rakes and pitchforks coming up the hill, and soon the 
whole butterfly class appeared, each boy carrying a rake 
or a pitchfork over his shoulder. 

" Hallo, boys," said Hal, springing forward to meet them, 
" where are you bound .'' " 

"You told us that you .and Tom were going into the 
hay-field this morning," said Ben Wait, "so we thought 
you ought not to have the frohc all by yourselves." 

"I 've brought my butterfly net," said little Frank. 
"I 'm going to catch ever so many butterflies while the 
rest make hay." 

"Take care that some butterfly does not catch you. 
Master Puck," said Rose ; but Frank was already over 
the wall and capering ofl' across the field. 

"You are just in time, boys," said Hal; "there is grass 
enough down for us all to work at, and by this time it 
ought to be spread out to dry." 

They all started off towards the field, Tom and Hal 
stopping at the barn on the w^ay for their pitchforks. As 
they were going down the lane Rose called after them : 
"When you are tired, boys, go to the Elm in the centre 
of the lot, and there you will find something to rest you." 

"That 's just like Rose," said Ben Wait; "she always 
knows what is good for boys." 



84 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

When they reached the field, they saw a number of men 
swinging their scythes through the tall grass, which was 
still wet with .the morning dew. Hal and his party soon 
were hard at work, spreading out the new-mown hay so 
that it would catch the hot rays of the sun. Their merry 
voices rang through the air as they called back and forth 
to each other across the field. Meanwhile little Frank, 
with his blue gauze net flying over his shoulder, was 
jumping and running about a^l over the field, often stop- 
ping to watch the yellow Philodice butterfly at play. The 
Philodice were very numerous now, and they were flying 
in pairs round and round over the sweet-scented hay. 

At last Tom stopped work and leaned on the handle 
of his pitchfork. He was not quite so robust as the 
country boys, and the work in the hot Summer sun was 
harder than anything he had been accustomed to. But 
all the boys began to feel tired, for they had not been 
playing, but working with a will, each one trying to prove 
himself the "smartest man. They were all quite ready to 
follow Hal,, who proposed that they should stack their 
pitchforks and go to the Elm. Here they found some 
fairy had placed a basket of gingerbread and sandwiches 
and a pail of iced molasses and water. " Real haymaker's 
fare," said Ben, as he seized a huge slice of gingerbread 
and proceeded to dispose of it. Little Frank saw them 
sitting under the tree, and came up for his share. He 
held something very carefully in his net. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 8$ 

"It is not a butterfly," said he, as the boys gathered 
round to look. 

"O no," said many voices at once, "it is nothing but a 
Devil's Darning-needle." And they all laughed at Frank 
for throwing his net over one of those things. 

" It is almost as pretty as a butterfly," said Frank, " and 
I am going to take it to the teacher to-night." He took 
out his little bottle of ether, and, with Tom's help, he soon 
subdued the insect and secured it to a cork in his box. 
It was very pretty, as Frank had said, with its long, slen- 
der, black body and four gauzy wings. 

When the boys had seated themselves round the tree, 
and* were eating their luncheon, Hal asked what butterflies 
they had for the class that night, adding that he had none. 

"There is my Hunter's butterfly I carried last time, and 
then the Darning-needle," said Frank. 

"The Darning-needle is very important of course," said 
Ben. " I am afraid if we depend upon you, Frankie, to 
supply us with specimens, Mr. Benedict might as well give 
up the class. Fortunately I have some new ones I caught 
yesterday after school." 

Gilbert had some too, so they concluded that would be 
enough. 

" There is Rose coming down the lane," said Ben ; " let 's 
all go and meet her." The boys gathered up the remains 
of their luncheon and started towards the house. 



86 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

" Johnny," said Rose, as the boys came up to her, " I 
have just returned from seeing Annie. Dr. Grey has come 
to see her to-day, and I thought you would hke to know 
what he says." 

The boys stood very silent, until finally Johnny spoke : 
"What does the Doctor say about her foot .^ " he asked. 

" He thinks — he hopes," answered Rose, " that he can 
cure her. She will have to keep very quiet in her cham- 
ber for a good many weeks, he says, but he thinks she 
will be able to walk, perhaps not as well as you can, 
Johnny, but still without her crutch." 

Johnny's face was flushed and his eyes shone with ex- 
citement, as he listened to what Rose was saying aBout 
his sister. He had never seen Annie walk in all his life, 
except very slowly and leaning on her crutches, for he was 
not so old as she was, and the injury which had made her 
such a patient sufferer for so many years she had received 
before he was born ; and now the Doctor said that perhaps 
within a few weeks she would walk round the house, and, 
it might be, out into the garden, without even leaning on 
his arm. 

" I think I 'd better go home, boys," said he ; " perhaps 
I can help about something." 

All the boys started at once to go with him. When 
they reached Mr. Webb's house, everything was very quiet, 
and all they could learn was that the Doctor and Annie's 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 8/ 

mother were in Annie's room with the young girl, but 
that nothing could be decided as yet. 

That evening at the butterfly class the boys were all 
watching for Johnny, and when he appeared they all began 
to question him. He had not much to tell them. The 
Doctor had performed an operation on Annie's foot, and 
had gone back to the city. He had left very strict orders 
to keep Annie quiet on her bed, and in a few days he was 
coming again, when he would be able to say with more 
confidence what would be the result. Mr. Benedict was 
much interested in Annie, but he saw it would be better 
for the boys to draw their thoughts to another subject. 
" Come, boys," said he, " we must examine our specimens 
for the evening." He looked at what had been brought 
in, and then commenced his lecture. 

"At our last meeting I told you about four varieties 
of the genus Argynnis. There are many more of that class 
in which you would be interested, and if any of you bring 
in another variety, which I don't think very likely, I will 
tell you about it. At present, however, I shall pass to 
the genus Cynthia, to which Frank's Hunter's butterfly 
belongs. This genus is distinguished by the evenness of 
the edges of the wings. On the fore wings there is a 
slight indentation, and they are also slightly elongated to- 
ward the front border. The hind wings are never indented 
nor tailed. In the Cynthia Huntera, or Hunter's butterfly, 



88 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

the fore wings are black, spotted with white toward the 
tips and orange toward the shoulders. Round the black 




Cynthia Huntera. 

bovdsir of the hind wings are some small crescent-shaped 
black spots, inside of which is a row of black dots. The 
under side of the wings of the Cynthia Huntera are more 
beautiful than those of any other butterfly we have ex- 
amined. The hind wings are very delicately marbled with 
drab and white. On the margin are delicate lines of drab 
and white, and just inside four purplish spots. On the 
male there are only two of these spots, and they are much 
larger than those on the female and edged with white. 
The fore wings are beautifully spotted with pink, black 
and white on a drab ground. This specimen of Frank's 
is very perfect," and bright in color, as it has only just 
now come forth from the chrysalis. A few weeks later 
you will find these butterflies very common. They are 
not large, expanding at the most only two and a half 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 89 

inches, but they are so very pretty that they well repay 
the trouble of a chase. 

" Here are some more specimens of another butterfly be- 
longing to this genus. It is the Cynthia Cardui, commonly 
called Thistle butterfly, because its caterpillar lives upon 
the leaves of that plant. You will find it all through 
the months of July and August hovering about by the 
roadside. It loves the blossoms of the Thistle, but sucks 
honey from many other flowers as well. You see it is not 
quite so large as the Hunter's butterfly, and not so beauti- 
fully colored. The body is thick and clumsy. The wings 
are tawny orange spotted with black and white, and if you 
look very closely you will see they have a faint rose-tint. 
The under side of the hind wings is very much like that 
of the Hunter's butterfly. It is marbled in the same 
manner, but the marking varies a little. On the Thistle 
butterfly there is an irregular-shaped white spot near the 
centre of the wing, and a row of dots on the border. 

"Gilbert has brought in one other variety of the genus 
Cynthia. It is called Cynthia Atalanta. You see it is a 
little larger than the two I have just described. It ex- 
pands about three inches. The wings of the Atalanta 
butterfly are black. At the tip of the fore wings are a 
few little white spots. There is a band of orange across 
the centre of the fore wing, which extends round on to 
the hind wing fofming its margin. When the wings of 



90 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 




Cynthia Atalanta. 



this butterfly are opened as Gilbert has arranged his speci- 
men, you see that this orange band on all four wings forms 
an almost perfect circle. On the orange margin of the 
hind wings is a row of black dots ; two of these dots 
nearest to the hind angle have a blue centre. The Ata- 
lanta butterfly is commonly found hovering over beds of 
the Nettle, and the leaves of this plant receive its eggs. 
There are two broods in the course of the season, the first 
coming out early in July and the second the last of Au- 
gust. This butterfly is not considered a native American, 
but is supposed to have been introduced from Europe to- 
gether with the Nettle, which was originally a foreign 
plant, although it is now very common and may be found 
growing round nearly every old country home. A Nettle 
plant is not a very tender nursery for a young caterpillar 
to be born in, and no doubt Frank would be glad to hear 



THE BUTTERFLY PTUNTERS. 9 1 

that the prickles killed it, before it was a day old. But 
Nature takes better care of her young children than to 
allow such things to happen. The young caterpillar is 
curiously provided with long spines, which project all over 
its body and entirely protect it from the sharp prickles 
of the Nettle. 

" For our next lesson we will take some more specimens 
of the genus Vanessa. You remember the Antiopa, the 
first butterfly I described to you last Spring, belonged to 
this genus, and there are two more that ought by this 
time to be on the wing. Very likely some of you will 
find specimens before we meet again." 

Mr. Benedict was about to dismiss the class, when little 
Frank, who had been waiting very impatiently for the 
teacher to stop, climbed down from his seat and came 
towards Mr. Benedict's table. He had not placed his speci- 
men with the others, because he wanted to give it to Mr. 
Benedict himself 

"Well, what have you now, my little fellow.?" asked the 
teacher. 

"That 's what I want you to tell me. All the boys 
laughed at me for catching it, and said it was only a 
Devil's Darning-needle." 

A loud laugh rang through the class at Frank's state- 
ment, in which the teacher joined. 

"That is the common name of this insect, Frank," said 



92 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

he. "It is one variety of Dragon-Fly. Some of these 
Dragon-FHes are very deHcate and beautiful, and I think 
you would all be interested to add a few to your collec- 
tion. Some day before vacation I would like to go with 
you on a boating excursion. Dragon-Flies always live 
around ponds and damp places, and in the marshy borders 
of World's End Pond we shall be sure to capture some 
fine specimens." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



93 



CHAPTER XIV 



HAL'S MISHAPS IN THE WOODS 




" It will be real jolly to go on 
a boating frolic with Mr. Bene- 
dict," said Hal, as the boys were 
leaving the school-house. 

" If I had not carried him my 
Darning-needle," said Frank, "he 
never would have thought about going. I wish he would 
go next week. I want to catch some more Dragon-Flies, 
they are so — " 

" So what ? " interrupted Ben Wait. " I don't think they 
are half so pretty as butterflies. Don't you see the things 
have no color, except black and white ? I used to think 
that they could sting worse than bees with that horrid 
long tail." 

" You need not go to the boating party then," said 
Frank. 

"Yes, I will. I like the boating too well to stay at 
home." 

" We must be almost through with butterflies," said Hal. 
" I don't remember seeing many more kinds than we have 
caught." 



94 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



"Just as if you knew anything about it," said Ben. 

" I do," said Hal. " I always used to catch butterflies in 
my hat, only I never kept them before, and I know we 
have had most all the kinds at the class. There are some 
little dark butterflies I have seen in the woods that we 
have not had yet. Mr. Benedict will want those of course." 

One day, not long after this conversation took place, Hal 
and Tom started out into the woods to look for some of 
the little dark butterflies of which Hal had spoken. The 
woods were deliciously cool and the boys lay down under 
the trees for a long time before looking about for their 
butterflies. It was so pleasant to watch the stray bits of 
sunlight which came gleaming down here and there be- 
tween the branches, falling in bright bits of light on 
clusters of delicate, wavy ferns and beds of rich moss. 

"Well, Tom," said Hal, springing up at length, "we 
shan't accomplish much in this way. I want to fill my 
box with the little brownies before I go home." 

They started off, one towards the mountain and the 
other into the Birches, and agreed to meet under the Elm 
at home. Tom was very successful that afternoon. He 
had grown quite familiar with the secret of creeping safely 
through bushes and briers, and he could tumble over a 
stone wall as gracefully as any real country boy ; so he 
went easily about in the thickets on the mountain, and 
long before sunset a brownie was mounted on every cork 



. THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 95 

in his box. As he approached the house he saw Hal 
sitting under the Elm. Hal was very much out of temper. 
There was no end to his bad luck. He had encountered 
an angry bull, and very narrowly escaped him. Then just 
as he was plunging forward to throw his net over a rare 
specimen, his foot got entangled in some briers and over 
he went, scratching his hands and breaking the staff of 
his net as he fell. His box flew out of his hand, the cover 
rolled off, and several brownies he had already captured 
were loosened from the pins and scattered broken among 
the brambles. 

" I will give up beat this time, Tom," said he. " Now 
let 's see what you have caught." 

Tom showed his handsome collection. 

"You have worked like an old naturalist," said Hal, 
" while I, like a clumsy fellow, have done nothing but 
•tumble about among the bushes. Come along," he added, 
"I must go and cut a new stick for my net." 

When they started for the next class-meeting, Tom took 
his box of brownies, although the teacher had said the 
lesson would be on the genus Vanessa. 

" Have the boys caught any Vanessas ? " asked Tom. 

"Yes," repUed Hal, "Ben and some of the other fellows 
had some to-day." 

When the boys reached the school-house they found Mr. 
Benedict was just commencing. As they went in he was 



96 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



holding up a butterfly before the class. It expanded about 
two inches and a half. 




Semicolon. 

"This belongs to the genus Vanessa," said he, "and is 
commonly called the Semicolon butterfly, on account of the 
resemblance of the golden spot on the under side of each 
hind wing to a semicolon. The wings are tawny orange, 
shaded very dark near the body. They are spotted all 
over with brown. On the margin is a regular line of 
brown spots, inside of which, on the hind wings, is a row 
of lighter-colored spots. The under side is marbled with 
different shades of gray. In the centre of the fore wing 
is a white spot, and on the hind wing the gold-colored 
semicolon. A few specimens of this butterfly are some- 
times found in May, and by some naturalists it is supposed 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 97 

to live through the Winter. This is very probable, as 
those seen . on the wing in that month have, as a general 
thing, faded and torn wings. The time for taking them 
for your collection is from the last of July till October. 

"Another species of this genus is the Vanessa Comma. 
Gilbert has brought in several very fine specimens. You 
see," said Mr. Benedict, as he held up Gilbert's box before 
the class, "that the Comma butterfly is not quite so large 
as the Semicolon. It is very rarely found expanding more 
than two inches. The wings are dull orange, shaded on 
the margin with a purple tint. They are spotted with 
brown, and along the margin is a row of buff-colored dots. 
The edges of the fore wings are deeply notched, and the 
hind wings are tailed. Underneath, the wings are marbled 
with gray, and in the middle of the under side of each 
hind wing is a silvery spot shaped like a comma. A few 
poor specimens of the Comma butterfly are, like the Semi- 
colon, often seen flying about in May, but the time when 
they are to be found fresh in color and perfect for a 
cabinet, is during the month of August and September. 

"There is one more of this genus which appears at the 
same season as the others. You have not found any speci- 
mens of it as yet, but I will describe it, so that you may 
know its appearance. It expands over two inches, and is 
very showy and handsome. The wings are of a rich vel- 
vety black, and there is a broad orange band extending 
7 



98 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

across both pairs of wings near the margin. On the hind 
wings there is a row of blue crescent-shaped spots between 
this band and the edge. On the front edge of the fore 
wings are two large orange spots. The under side of the 
wings is dark brown, with a band of a lighter shade of 
brown near the margin. The name of this gay little but- 
terfly is Vanessa Milberti or Milbert's butterfly. 




Vanessa Milberti. 

" I shall tell you about only two more kinds of butter- 
flies this Summer. Then we shall have examined, not of 
course all kinds of butterflies, but nearly all the varieties 
common in New England. The two remaining varieties 
are the Hipparchians and Skippers." 

Just then Tom, seeing that Mr. Benedict was about to 
dismiss the class, brought his box of brownies to the 
teacher. 

"These are Hipparchians," said Mr. Benedict. He held 
up the box for all the boys to see, and told them that 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 99 

before the next class-meeting he would like to have them 
hunt in the woods and shady places for more varieties. 
He said they would devote the next lesson to Hippar- 
chians and the last to Skippers. After that they would 
have the boating excursion. 

" What did you say about Skippers, Sir ? " said Frank. 
"Are they butterflies.?" , 

"Yes, they are butterflies, but very small ones," replied 
the teacher. 

"There goes a Skipper, now. Catch him, catch him," 
said Gilbert, as the boys were leaving the school-house ; 
and, bounding after Frank, he seized him in his arms, and, 
placing him astride of his broad shoulders, galloped ofl' up 
the street. 



100 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



CHAPTER XV. 




THE LITTLE WOOD-BROWNIES. 

.EFORE the next meeting the boys searched 
faithfully through all the woods and thickets, 
and many a poor brownie yielded up its 
little life and took its place on a cork. 
" I always call these butterflies Quakers," 
said the teacher, as he commenced his lecture. "They do 
not appear in the brilliant colors worn by butterflies that 
love flowers and sunshine, but, dressed in Quaker drab, 
they seek the quiet and retirement of the woods, where 
they flit about in graceful circles over the shady beds of 
ferns and woodland grasses. These Quakers belong to the 
genus Hipparchia. They possess several distinguishing fea- 
tures, the most prominent of which is the enlargement of 
the veins of the fore wings near the shoulder. I shall 
describe some of the different varieties." 

There the teacher stopped, and selected a box from those 
on his table, which he held up before the boys. "I think," 
said he, "that this little butterfly is more beautiful than 
any other of the Quakers. It is called Hipparchia Eurytris. 
It is found in the thick woods where the air is damp and 
cool. It always seeks the shade rather than the sunshine. 




THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. lOI 

and flutters low among the bushes, as if to hide from even 
the daylight. It is especially the Quaker butterfly, for the 
color of its wings is a fine Quaker drab, shaded a little 
darker toward the shoulders. Near the margin of all the 
wings is a band a shade light- 
er, and on the band, on each 
wing, are two eye-like black 
spots surrounded by a ring 
of very pale drab. The un- 
der side is precisely like the ---^ ^,,„^ 

^ ■' Hipparchia Eurytns. 

upper. The wings of this lit- 
tle butterfly are very delicate and fine in texture, and so 
easily soiled or broken as to make it difficult to capture 
without injury. The Eurytris butterfly is found in July, 
and sometimes as late as the last of August. It expands 
about one inch and a half 

" The largest of these butterflies is the Hipparchia Alope. 
Its wings expand two inches, and even larger specimens 
have been captured. I have one in my collection measur- 
ing over two inches and a half; but you have found none 
over the usual size. The wings are all dull brown. Across 
the centre of the fore wings is a broad ochre-yellow band, 
on which are two black spots, with a light blue centre. 
The hind wings are scalloped and ornamented with a row 
of black dots round the margin, outside of which is a band 
of lighter brown than the rest of the wing. The under 



I02 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



side of the wings is pale brown, crossed by lines of a 
darker shade. In the male Alope there are rarely any 
black dots on the hind wings. The Alope butterfly is 




Hipparchia Alope. 

found all through July and August, and often as late as 
the last of September. It does not seek the dense shade 
so much as the Eurytris butterfly, but loves to hover where 
the sunlight, streaming through the leaves, warms and dries 
the air. Sometimes late in the season I have seen it ven- 
ture out from its sylvan hiding-place into the open air 
of the orchards. 

"The other varieties of this butterfly are not common. 
The Hipparchia Semidia, or Mountain butterfly is found 
in the mountainous regions of New England, but I have 
never known it to visit the more level country. It has the 
same general character as the two we have just described, 
wings grayish brown and spotted with a lighter shade of 
the same color. The texture of its wings is so very deli- 
cate that it is almost impossible to procure a perfect speci- 
men. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. IO3 

"There is another variety of Hipparchia which has been 
named BoisduvalHi, in honor of the celebrated naturahst of 
that name. It also is a lover of mountainous regions. In 
appearance it is not essentially different from the Eurytris, 
except that it is a little larger and has more spots on the 
wings. There are a few other varieties, but they are not 
often met with. They resemble those we have already de- 
scribed, and differ but slightly in size and color. The 
Hipparchia Nephele, or Cloud butterfly, is also a beautiful 
variety. Its wings are of a grayish brown color, the fore 
wings bordered with a paler colored band, on which are two 
eye-like spots. The under side is marbled with shades of 
brown. Its wings expand about two inches. 

"There are many other kinds of Hipparchians, but it 
would be impossible for me to make you familiar with the 
whole family." 

The teacher, having finished his lecture, dismissed the 
boys ; but they all remained for a while, talking about the 
Festival and the boating excursion, and about Annie. 

" We won't have our Festival until Annie can go," said 
Gilbert. 

" I did n't try to catch one of these little dull butterflies," 
said Frank ; " but now the teacher calls them Quakers I 
like them better." 

"Ah, Frank likes Quakers," said Ben Wait, laughing. 

"You need n't laugh, Ben, for I don't think I do. 



104 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

When my little Quaker cousin comes to see me I 'm sure 
I don't like her, for she gets all my books and playthings 
out of place. Then I get mad and call her Quaker Mary ; 
but she never cries when I tease her, she only smiles a 
little." 

"O, Mary is too old to care when such a hop-o-my- 
thumb as you are teases her," said Joe Dane, a very 
roguish fellow, who never said much, but always listened 
with a twinkle in his eye to all the other boys' fun. 

"You like Mary, Joe. You came down and played with 
her every day when she was here last Spring," said Frank. 

Now the laugh all turned on Joe, and all the boys at 
once began, " Quaker, Quaker, Joe 's a Quaker." 

" My mother is a Quaker, anyway," said Joe ; " and 
Quakers often come to see her, and I like them." 

" Cousin Mary is coming to our Festival," said Frank ; 
" but the shy little thing would not be Queen, so nobody 
will have the fun of catching her." 

"I say," said Hal, "our Queen must have some Maids 
of Honor. We shall need more than just one Queen, for 
I know I should be mad at the boy who caught her if 
there was nothing left." 

"The girls will arrange that to suit themselves," said 
Gilbert, "and we must be content with what they give 
us." 

The boys were never tired of talking about the Festival. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. IO5 

They almost forgot the boating on the pond, which was 
to take place first. But to Frank this last was an occasion 
of great importance, partly because his Darning-needle, as 
he called it, had been the means of bringing it about. 
"One more lesson, and then hurrah for the Dragon-Flies!" 
said he, as the boys parted for the night. 



io6 



THE BUTTERFLY 'HUNTERS. 



CHAPTER XVI 



SKIPPERS 




KIPPERS! What a funny name for but- 
terflies!" said Tom, as he and Hal were 
getting ready for the next class-meeting. 
"I should think grasshoppers might well 
be called so, but I 'm sure butterflies 
never skip." 

"If you had gone out with me yesterday, instead of 
sleeping under the Elm, you would not wonder about the 
name," replied Hal ; " the things know how to skip away 
from one, anyway, even if they don't fly very high." 

On reaching the class-room they found the teacher had 
not arrived, but all the boys were gathered round Johnny. 
Johnny had great news to tell. Dr. Grey had been to 
see Annie again, and had said she was much, much better 
than he had hoped. He promised her that in a few weeks 
she should walk without assistance. While the boys were 
still talking eagerly, Mr. Benedict came in, and listened to 
what they had to tell him about their young friend. They 
then took their seats, and, after arranging the specimens 
they had brought in, the teacher commenced. 

" I shall give but one lesson' about all these butterflies, 



THE -BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 10/ 

because, as they are easily described as a class, it would 
be useless and indeed almost impossible to describe each 
variety. I shall mention a few of the kinds most common 
in this vicinity. There are two kinds of butterflies, the 
True butterfly, which when lighted always holds its wings 
erect, and the Skipper, that only erects the fore wings 
when at rest. These Skippers are very small insects, but 
their body is very robust, and they fly with great rapidity 
and strength, not moving in graceful, wavy lines as the 
True butterflies do, but skipping about with a sudden, 
jerking motion. Their flight is very short and almost 
always near the ground. Their prevailing color is dusky 
brown, with pale, whitish-yellow or transparent spots. The 
antennae of the Skipper are hooked at the end, which is 
never the case with the True butterfly. 

One of our largest and most beautiful Skippers is the 




^ 



Eudamus Tityrus. 

Eudamus Tityrus. It expands over two inches. The wings 
are dark, velvety brown. The fore pair are crossed by an 



I08 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

orange-colored band, which has a metalHc lustre. Near the 
tip of the wings are a few spots of the same color. The 
hind wings are tailed, and on the under side are crossed 
by a silvery band. The antennae are hooked, but have no 
knobs. The Tityrus Skipper appears about the first of 
July, and may be found until late in August, hovering 
over Clover and sweet-scented flowers. Its flight is very 
rapid, and although it flies very near the ground it is hard 
to capture. I have but one perfect pair in my collection. 
This one that Gilbert has brought in is very much broken 
and shows signs of having made a hard fight for its life. 
Eh, Gilbert .? " 

" Indeed, Sir," said Gilbert, " I thought the thing would 
struggle itself all to pieces before I could put it to sleep." 
"The Skippers have a very strong hold on life," con- 
tinued the teacher ; " I have very often had a specimen 
ruined before I could quiet it. The Hesperia Hobomok 
is a very small variety of Skipper, expanding only a little 

over one inch. It was named by 
Dr. Harris after a celebrated In- 
dian chief Its wings are dark 
brown, and on the centre of each 
wing is a large yellow spot cover- 
„ . XT 1 1 ii^S almost all of the middle of 

Hesperia Hobomok. ° 

the wing. The edges of the wings 
have delicate fringe, of a lighter shade of brown. The 




THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. lOQ 

under side of the fore wings is like the upper, only of a 
more delicate shade. The hind pair are brown under- 
neath, and are marked with a yellow spot and a broad 
yellow band. The Hobomok Skipper is found almost all 
Summer, but it is never very common. 

"Another Skipper, often found hovering over beds of 
sweet-scented field-flowers, is the Hesperia Peckius, com- 
monly called Peck Skipper. It was named by Mr. Kirby 
in honor of Professor Peck. It expands only a little over 
one inch. Its wings are dark brown spotted with yellow, 
like the Hobomok Skipper, only instead of having one 
large yellow spot, the Peck Skipper has a row of small 
spots on its fore wing, and on the hind wing a row of 
short, unequal yellow lines. The under side is almost pre- 
cisely like the Hobomok Skipper. 

"I shall only describe one more to you, — the Hesperia 
Leonardus, or Leonard Skipper. This variety was also 
named by Dr. Harris. This pretty little fellow is of the 
same general color as the two last, but quite different in 
the marking. Across the fore wings is a yellow band, 
and on the front margin are two small yellow spots. The 
hind wings are also marked with a yellow band near the 
margin. The under side of the fore wings is of a more 
reddish brown than the upper, and the markings are of a 
paler yellow. Underneath the hind wings is a curved row 
of yellow dots. This little Skipper is commonly found in 
low lands. 



no THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

"There are a great many more butterflies belonging to 
the Skipper family. One English naturalist describes as 
many as eighty. I have told you about those which are 
most common in our fields and meadows, and if you find 
any others you will always know them to be Skippers by 
the position of the wings when at rest. 

^"This is the last lecture we shall have on butterflies. 
I have not told you about half of the kinds which frequent 
our fields and woods, but I have endeavored to make you 
familiar with those varieties you are most likely to meet 
with on your walks to and from school. I hope that your 
interest in the study will increase so that by next year 
we may examine more carefully all the peculiarities of 
each insect, and extend our study from those insects com- 
mon in our own locality to those of the whole world. 

" Next week we shall meet on the shore of the pond 
for a lesson on Dragon-Flies." 




THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. Ill 

CHAPTER XVII. 

THE BOATING-PARTY. — DRAGON-FLIES. 

NE pleasant afternoon the boys all met in 

the grove on the shore of the pond. 

Frank, as usual, was skipping about, and 

had just tumbled and rolled over and over 

on the grass when Mr. Benedict came up 

the lane and joined the party. 

" Take care, Frankie," said he ; " if you stand on your 

little feet in that fashion we shall have to leave you at 

home." 

"O, I '11 do just what you tell me to," said Frank. 
Just then a splendid green Dragon-Fly darted past them, 
and Frank with a great flourish threw his net. "Hurrah 
for the first specimen ! " said he ; but he looked suddenly 
very blank as the insect quietly soared off over his head. 
"Why did n't you catch him, Frankie.^" said Tom. 
"You try, and then you will know without asking," re- 
plied Frank. "But only see how many Dragon-Flies there 
are off over those blue Pickerel-Weed blossoms in the 
water." 

" What did you call those blue flowers, Frank ? " asked 
Tom. 



112 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

" Why, Pickerel- Weed ; don't you know ? " 

"No, I never heard of any kind of Pickerel except 
fishes." 

"Pickerel-Weed is only the common name for this blue 
flower," said Mr. Benedict ; " but it is a very good one, for 
the Pickerel always love to hide away among its long 
roots. The proper name is Arrow-head. There is another 
kind of Arrow-head which bears a white blossom ; you 
will often see it in damp ditches by the roadside. But 
come, boys ! we must look for boats." 

" I have engaged two large boats for us," said Gilbert, 
"and they are chained to the branches of that Willow." 

The party walked over a bridge across a little rivulet 
which emptied into the pond and soon came to the Willow. 
It was a very large tree, growing out over the water so 
that its sweeping branches formed a snug boat-house. 

"I will row one boat," said the teacher, "and Gilbert 
would better row the other, as he is the largest of you, 
and, if I am not mistaken, a good oarsman and swimmer." 

" O, I can swim too ! " said many voices at once. 

"I am glad of that," said the teacher; "but I sincerely 
hope it will be an accomplishment not necessary to put in 
practice to-day. Still, it is a good plan to have one good 
swimmer in each boat, for boats can upset and boys can 
fall into the water." 

Without further delay the boys ran to the boats and 
tumbled in over the sides. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. II3 

"Lightly, lightly," said the teacher, as Tom jumped down 
from a branch of the Willow and made the boat rock from 
side to side. "Now, boys," he continued, "seat yourselves 
so as to balance the boat. Here, Frank, you must come 
in my boat, so that I can keep you still. Now one, two, 
three!" 

And Mr. Benedict and Gilbert pushed away from the 
shore. The teacher had thought it best to take boits to 
hunt for Dragon-Flies, as the insects so often flit off over 
the water far out of reach of a person hunting on the 
bank. The party were going now to row round the pond 
until they were tired and then anchor among the weeds 
and Lily-pads near the bank, and try their luck with their 
nets. 

It was a beautiful day for such an excursion. The sky 
was full of large rolling clouds, and there was no wind. 
The boys were all in fine spirits, and full of fun and play. 
Some leaned over the side of the boat holding their hand 
so that the sparkling water rippled through their fingers. 
Others commenced singing. 

"We must give one song to the old flag, boys," said 
Mr. Benedict, as he pointed to the streamers with which 
each boat was dressed. 

"We '11 rally round the flag, boys, we '11 rally once 
again," shouted Hal, and every boy joined in. Their 
young voices waked all the echoes of the lake, and the 
8 



114 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

very hills and woods rang back the "Battle-cry of Free- 
dom." 

World's End Pond was a beautiful spot. It was six 
miles round. The shore was rocky and the water washing 
against the ledges had hollowed out innumerable little 
caves into which the water swashed with a hollow, gur- 
gling sound as the boats passed by. On the opposite side 
of the lake from where they started was what was called 
the inlet. A brook flowed into the pond here, and all 
around its mouth the shore was low and marshy. Here, 
the teacher said, was the best place to catch Dragon- 
Flies, as they delight to dart about among the long reeds 
and water-grasses. The two boats were pushed up among 
the broad Lily-pads, and anchored by means of large, flat 
stones attached to stout ropes, to keep them from drifting 
out into the middle of the pond on the current of the 
little brook. 

" O, here they all are," said Ben Wait. " I hate the 
long-tailed things. I am going to trap all I can and 
drown them in the water." 

He threw his net for a black and white insect whose 
lace wings were glistening on a reed near by. 

" You won't throw that fellow into the water anyway," 
said Hal, as he watched the Dragon-Fly soar away over 
the pond. 

"Now, boys," said Mr. Benedict, "we must be industrious, 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. II5 

for over the top of those hills I see a showery cloud rolling 
up, and I don't think a bath in the boat would be much 
pleasanter than one out of it." 

The boys now became very quiet. Kneeling on the 
seats, with a skilful swing of their nets, they brought a 
large number of beautiful lace-wings into the boat. Drag- 
on-Flies have a strong hold on life, and sometimes it took 
several doses of ether to quiet the fluttering of their wings. 
Joe Dane had a little brush attached to his ether bottle, 
and he was busily engaged in "feeding one," as he called 
it. " Look how he eats ! " said he. The boys all looked 
with wonder at the large savage jaws which the insect 
was opening to suck the brush. Two or three mouthfuls 
were enough to stiffen his wings forever. 

"Are there names for each kind of Dragon-Fly, as there 
are for butterflies, Mr. Benedict } " asked Joe. 

"They have scientific names," replied the teacher, "but 
no common names except what our friend Frank calls 
them. Devil's Darning-needles. They belong to the di- 
vision of Entomology called Neuroptera. When we reach 
the shore where you can all hear me, I will tell you about 
the way in which Dragon-Flies are classified. But, boys, 
that shower-cloud is increasing very rapidly. We have a 
good half hour's pull between us and the landing-place, 
and as you have already captured a large number of speci- 
mens I think we would better haul up our anchor and 
turn towards home. Frank, vou little rascal, sit still." 



Il6 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

Mr. Benedict's warning came too late. Frank made a 
bold spring for an insect that was flying far above his 
head, and, losing his balance, fell into the water. Instant- 
ly Hal was over the side of the boat and both disappeared 
beneath the surface. For a moment it seemed as if the 
whole boat-load would follow. Every boy sprang to his 
feet, and the boat rocked violently from side to side. It 
was all Mr. Benedict could do to control them. He knew 
that Hal was an expert swimmer, and felt that it was his 
duty to keep the boat from upsetting. It was only an 
instant, although to the boys who stood silent and watch- 
ful in the boat it seemed an hour before Hal appeared, 
grasping Frank in one hand. He had caught him just 
as he was going down. 

" Back ! back to the other end of the boat ! " shouted the 
teacher to all the boys who tried to rush to the rescue ; 
" balance her quick while I help them in ! " 

Hal had already supported himself by catching hold of 
a piece of board which lay among the reeds, and, pushing 
Frank towards Mr. Benedict, he said, " Look to Frank, 
I can take care of myself" 

Soon as Frank was lifted into the boat he commenced 
making a vigorous use of his hands to clear the water 
from his face and eyes, while the eager, excited boys were 
using their handkerchiefs to dry his hair and wipe his 
clothes. The little fellow was not hurt, but somewhat 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. II/ 

confused by his sudden bath. He rubbed his eyes and 
looked all round, then began to cry ; but his crying soon 
changed to a laugh as he saw the boys trying so hard to 
rub the water from his clothes. Meanwhile Hal, with Mr. 
Benedict's help, had got into the boat again. 

" O Hal, are you hurt ? " said Frank, turning suddenly 
towards him. 

" No, — yes, only a scratch, that is all. I suppose I got 
it going down among those bushes." 

Hal's voice trembled with cold, and Mr. Benedict insist- 
ed upon wrapping his dry coat about him. Frank was 
already well provided for by the other boys. By this time 
the sun had disappeared, and dark, heavy clouds covered 
the whole sky. 

" Now, Gilbert," said the teacher, " we must pull well or 
we shall all have a bath as well as Frank and Hal, before 
we reach the landing." 

"I just felt a drop on my nose," said Ben Wait. 

Soon the rain began to fall very fast. They were not 
half-way across the lake, and it was impossible to escape 
a wetting. 

"We may as well take it easy, Gilbert," said Mr. Bene- 
dict as he laid down his oars and took breath. The boys 
all gave a loud laugh. They made a very funny picture, 
sitting in open boats in the middle of the pond, with 
the rain pouring in Httle cascades from their hat-brims. 



Il8 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS, 

" Now you are all as badly off as I am," said little 
Frank in an. exultant tone. 

The boys did not care for the rain. They had carefully 
covered up their specimens, and a wetting, on a warm 
Summer day was only so much fun. They were all in 
the best of spirits when they reached the landing. 

" I think, under the circumstances, we would better post- 
pone our lecture on Neuroptera until we meet in the 
school-room," said Mr. Benedict as he gazed upon the 
dripping crowd. 

" Let 's all escort Frank home," said Ben Wait. 

Just as they were ready to start Frank ran and slipped 
his little plump hand into Hal's, and half whispered, " I 
was so silly to tumble into the water that I am half 
ashamed to thank you, Hal, for pulling me out." 

" No thanks, Frankie," said Hal ; " I only had a good 
ducking, which was very pleasant on such a hot day." 

The following afternoon after school Mr. Benedict told 
the boys if they would remain a little longer he would tell 
them something about the Dragon-Flies. The next days 
were .to be devoted to the school examinations, and after 
that there would be five weeks' vacation, so that this 
seemed to be the best time to complete what the rain 
had broken up the day before. All the boys were there. 
Frank was just as lively as ever, and Hal, although his 
arm was still somewhat lame from the bruise he had re- 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 19 

ceived, was none the worse for his sudden bath. The boys 
were all glad to remain. Mr. Benedict had taken all the 
specimens home with him the day before, and had brought 
them to the school arranged in the proper order. 

"Dragon-Flies belong to the division of Entomology 
called Neuroptera," said he. " This division includes all 
insects having four lace wings, prominent jaws, and no 
sting. The subdivision to which Dragon-Flies belong is 
called Libelluhna. The Dragon-Fly's head is always large 
and his mouth is very ample. His eyes are prominent and 
project on each side of his head. His legs are short and 
his abdomen very long. He is a very voracious fellow, and 
devours mosquitoes and other small water-insect^ with great 
eagerness. His life is spent darting over the water and 
marshy places. He flies very rapidly and with great 
strength, and on this account is often seen far from any 
damp place. I have even caught them flying about my 
house in the city, but their home is always by the water- 
side. The worm and pupa of the Dragon-Fly live in the 
water, and are nourished by minute aquatic insects. They 
resemble the perfect insect, except they are wingless. Drag- 
on-Flies, or Libellulinae, are divided into two families, Agri- 
onidse and Libellulidae. The Agrionidae have a head much 
larger than the rest of the body, their eyes are far apart, 
and the wings are generally narrow and very gauzy, and 
are slightly elevated when the insect is at rest. Agrioni- 



I20 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

dae are divided into three subdivisions, the distinguishing 
points of which I shall not describe to you, as the differ- 
ence is so slight you would not be able to understand it. 
There are a great many varieties. The most common kind 
is the Common Agrion. Here is a very fine specimen. 
You see it has a large head. Its body and tail are black, 
striped with bright green. The wings expand nearly four 
inches. They look like delicate lace, but do not break 
easily. Each wing is marked with three brown or black 
blotches on the front edge. There is another kind called 
Gigantic Agrion. Its head is large and its eyes immense. 
It has a yellow face and huge hairy jaws which open and 
shut upon its prey with great rapidity. Its body is gener- 
ally black, and sometimes marked with yellow spots. The 
wings are like those of the Common Agrion. The Beauti- 
ful Agrion is smaller. It has an azure-blue body marked 
with black, and the markings on the wings are delicate 
blue. This is one of the prettiest Dragon-Flies we have. 
Others belonging to this family are red with pale-yellow 
wings, or black striped with blue or yellow. The varia- 
tions of color are almost infinite. Some males are armed 
with curved forceps, which look very savage, but are harm- 
less. 

"The LibelluHdse have broader wings than the Agrioni- 
d^, and during repose they are placed horizontally. The 
males of this family are all armed with forceps. The 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 121 

Libelliilidae are arranged by some scientific men in six 
groups, but only two groups are generally recognized, and 
it would be almost impossible for any one but a naturalist 
to distinguish the differences even between these. It is 
unnecessary for such young students as you are to trouble 
yourselves at present abeut these delicate distinctions. 

"■Some insects belonging to the Libellulidae are very 
beautiful. Here is one with a blue head and large green 
eyes, and wings thin as a cobweb. Here is another which 
is called the Fairy Libellula. Its head is green with blue 
eyes. There is a brown spot on its forehead, and the body 
is of the same color and very slender. The wings expand 
about three inches. They are exquisitely deUcate, appear- 
ing like the finest lace-work and of a light ashy color, 
which next the body fades into white. 

" There are many other kinds which I might describe 
to you, my young friends, but you will scarcely remember 
what I have already told you." 

The boys had remained perfectly still while the teacher 
was talking, and had listened with great attention. Now 
that he had finished they all came round his table to ex- 
amine the specimens a few moments before separating to 
go home. 



122 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 




THE MOUNTAIN TRAMP. 

HEN the s/chool closed Mr. Bene- 
dict told the boys that if they 
would like to form a party to 
take a pedestrian tour through the 
mountains, he would go with them. 
He thought they might be away from home a week, and 
after that he would have a little time to himself before 
the commencement of the Autumn school term. A large 
number of boys were eager to go. 

" O Mr. Benedict ! take me with you ! " said little Frank. 
The teacher said he did n't think Frank's mother would 
let him go. It would be too hard for him to walk so far. 
"Are you going to walk all the way, — walk a whole 
week.?" asked Frank. 

" Yes, my little friend ; and you are sjlcll a Skipper, you 
would go twice as far as the rest of us.'-^. 

"We do not want anybody to take care of," said Ben 
Wait. "You ought not to think of going, Frank." , 

"For shame, Ben!" said Joe Dane. "Frank shall go if 
he wants to. If he gets tired, I '11 come home with him 
in the cars." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 123 

The morning they were to start, about a dozen boys 
came to Mr. Benedict's room. Each boy had a small 
leather wallet slung on one side to hold his luncheon, 
and in addition they all carried their butterfly-nets, for 
they depended upon enriching their collection while they 
were away, if not with new varieties still with more perfect 
specimens of what they already had. Frank was going 
too. He was very sure he could walk as far as any of 
them. 

It was a very fair morning for such a start. To save 
time they took the cars for the first twenty miles, and 
then, leaving the towns and villages behind them, they 
entered the mountains. They were all in fine spirits, and 
walked with a very quick step. 

" I say, boys," said Mr. Benedict at length, " we must 
walk slower. You start as though you were only going to 
the class-room. At this rate we shall all give out before 
noon, and you know we are starting for a whole day's 
.tramp." 

Frank was more excited than any of the others. He 
talked all the time, and asked questions about everything 
they saw along the road. 

" Frank seems to think every new place is full of new 
things," said Ben, who was still a little out of humor that 
so small a boy should be one of the party. 

"Well, I think you are always cross, Ben," said Frank, 
"and I don't think that is anything new." 



124 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

" I won't be cross any more, Frankie," said Ben, who by 
this time felt somewhat ashamed of himself " I did n't 
want you to come, because I was afraid you would get 
tired." 

*'We '11 see who will get tired," said Frank, laughing. 
The sharp little fellow knew that Ben was the laziest boy 
in the party, and he felt pretty sure of a chance to pay 
him back. 

By noon they had gone quite far up into the mountains, 
and Mr. Benedict ordered them to " halt " for luncheon by 
the side of a beautiful waterfall. This waterfall was in a 
shady, rocky glen between the mountain peaks. It was 
quite high, and as the place where the water made its 
leap was almost concealed by the branches of the tall trees 
which grew round the foot of the Fall, the shower of 
glittering diamonds seemed to come down from the sky. 
The water gathered itself together again in a rocky basin, 
the sides of which were covered with delicate ferns, and 
then plunging and leaping merrily over rocks and moss- 
covered logs, it bubbled onward to the valley far below. 
The boys seated themselves on the rocks near the foot 
of the Fall, and ate their luncheon with good appetites. 
They would have been glad to stay in the glen all the 
rest of the day, but Mr. Benedict said they must reach 
the top of the mountain before night. There they would 
find some barn in which they could sleep. Before leaving 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 125 

home they had supplied their wallets with two days' pro- 
visions. 

"Perhaps we shall find the hermit of the Deserted Vil- 
lage," said Mr. Benedict. 

" Why, teacher, what 's that ? " asked little Frank. 

"It is an old man who lives alone with his dog on the 
top of the mountain," replied the teacher. "Long ago 
there were some mills for washing and melting iron ore 
up there, and around them a collection of huts. Mill and 
hut are deserted now, and this old man lives, there alone. 
I visited him last Summer, and if he survived the cold of 
the past Winter we shall find him there still." 

The boys travelled on all the afternoon. Now and then 
they were drawn aside from the path in pursuit of some 
butterfly, and Hal was so fortunate as to secure a very 
fine specimen of the Hipparchia Semidia, or Mountain 
butterfly described in Chapter Fifteenth. He saw a pair 
of the fairy-like creatures hovering over a bush in the 
shade of a tall tree, and succeeded in capturing one of 
themi. The other floated away out of his reach. 

The sun had set, its parting rays bathing the plain be- 
low and the sky above in a splendor of gold and purple, 
and twilight was changing into moonUght, when our party 
passed out of the woods and stopped on the shore of quite 
a large pond. Near by they could see the outline of about 
twenty huts, and in the window of one of them a faint 
light was twinkling. 



126 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

"The old man is at home," said Mr. Benedict. 

Just then a large dog came bounding towards the boys, 
barking and showing his teeth. " Hallo, Touzer. Good 
fellow ! " said Mr. Benedict, advancing to meet him. On 
hearing his name, the dog stopped and gave one sniff at 
Mr. Benedict's hand which was extended towards him, 
then bounded upon him and thrust his rough tongue 
against his cheek, uttering all the while little short, quick 
barks of joy. By this time the hermit himself had come 
out to meet the party. He recognized the teacher at once, 
and heartily welcomed him and all his young companions 
to the shelter of his hut. 

"When I heard Touzer's little short wtiff^ 'ivtiff, I know'd 
't was a friend a comin'. He knows who 's who, Touzer 
does. You ought to see that dog when he thinks there 's 
mischief brewin','' said the old man. 

"Do you ever have any troublesome visitors in this 
quiet place } " asked the teacher. 

" Well, no, not exactly ; only 'tain't so far from the village 
but what the boys, they stray up here now and then, 
when they 're gunnin' and the like, and they try to tor- 
ment an old chap like me. The young 'uns don't mean 
no harm, only mischief; but Touzer, he don't understand 
it, and the way he sets their heels a flyin' down that steep 
path is a good 'un." 

All the while he was talking the old man bustled round 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 12/ 

his hut. He livened up his fire and soon produced a string 
of fine Pickerel he had caught that afi;ernoon in the pond. 

" My good friend," said Mr. Benedict, " we did not come 
to ask your hospitality to such an extent. My boys are 
all provided with supper and breakfast, and would be very 
glad to have you share it with them." 

But the old man still kept on preparing his Pickerel for 
the fire. "If your young gentlemen will eat up the critters, 
it '11 save my trampin' to the village with 'em in the morn- 
in'," said he. 

Meanwhile the boys were all resting after the long walk. 
Some were sitting round the door of the hut, enjoying 
the bright moonlight, others had gone to bathe their tired 
feet in the cool water of the pond. While little Frank, 
who did not seem at all weary, was becoming very friendly 
with Touzer, rolling over and over with him on the floor, 
and hiding his curly head in the dog's long fur. The old 
man watched the playfellows with great deUght. "Touzer 
never '11 forget you, little fellow, see if he does." And the 
hermit worked away at his fish, boasting all the while 
about the exceeding wit and wisdom of Touzer. At last 
all was ready, and never did morsel taste so sweet as did 
the Pickerel to the hungry boys. They all fell to, and 
"did very well without fork or knife." 

After their repast they chose their sleeping-places. Some 
went to one of the other huts near by, which, although 



128 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

the doors and windows were gone, still afforded very good 
shelter on a warm Summer night. Little Frank declared 
his decision to " stay with Touzer," and curling down beside 
the dog was soon sound asleep. 

The boys all waked very early the next morning and 
sprang up to enjoy the beautiful panorama spread out 
before their eyes. Along the horizon stretched a blue 
range of mountains, whose peaks were partially concealed 
by the white morning mist ; in the middle distance broad 
fields and hills were interspersed in beautiful variety, and 
here and there a dot or a line of mist indicated the loca- 
tion of a pond or the course of some winding river. The 
boys performed their toilet on the shore of the pond, and 
then proceeded to look about the Deserted Village. The 
huts were scattered about over an open space of ground 
on the summit of the mountain. The view on one hand 
was shut off by the tall forest trees, but on the side to- 
wards the pond the land was all open and very rocky. 
Very beautiful pictures the inhabitants of the Village must 
have had spread out before them as the changing seasons 
produced ever new tints and variations of light and shade 
on the glorious panorama at their feet. 

Our party found httle to interest them about the huts. 
They were mere empty sheds without windows and doors, 
and many of them were roofless. But the old mills were 
matters of great interest. They were very picturesque, the 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 29 

boarding of the sides having nearly all fallen off, leaving 
a mere skeleton of beams, inside of which were many- 
remains of the works, old shafts, pieces of broken wheels, 
and other things, all fallen together and overgrown with 
moss. The mills were built over the brook which flowed 
from the pond, and the water gushed through the old 
buildings, foaming and sparkling over the broken and 
silent water-wheel, which lay motionless, its iron shaft 
rusted fast. The boys thought they never had seen such 
a place to play in before, and even Gilbert forgot his 
assumed dignity as the oldest of the boys, and was down 
on his knees digging out an old wheel, when Mr. Benedict 
came in search of his young companions. He said if they 
wanted to reach the Falls House that day they must be 
off. None of the boys were ready to leave the Deserted 
Village, and little Frank could hardly help crying when 
Touzer put his big nose close to his face and barked 
an affectionate good-by. Mr. Benedict, however, thought 
it unwise to remain any longer ; so, after thanking their 
kind host for his attention, the boys set out for another 
day's walk. It did not come quite so easy as when they 
first started, and they walked with a much slower step. 
Still, not one was willing to be the first to say he was 
tired. 

Their road wound along on the top of the mountain 
range, and the morning air was fresh and cool. It was 
9 



130 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

nearly noon when Ben Wait finally said : " Teacher, is n't 
it almost luncheon time ? " 

Mr. Benedict said soon as they came to a pleasant place 
where there was a spring of water they would stop. It 
was not long before such a place was found. The boys 
were all glad to He down on the soft, green turf, and for 
once little Frank sat still while he ate his sandwiches and 
cake. As soon as they were eaten, however, he was up 
and dancing round again. He had taken his net and 
made several fruitless attempts to capture some little but- 
terfly flitting past, and finally threw it down impatiently 
over a bush, when something fluttered heavily into it. 

" O teacher ! O Hal ! come here, quick ! " screamed little 
Frank, while he tried with his own little hands to secure 
the large green insect fluttering in his net. Mr. Benedict 
was there in a moment. 

" Let me manage him, Frank," said he. After a dose 
of ether the large, beautiful creature lay quiet in the net, 
and Mr. Benedict's ready fingers soon transferred him to 
the cork. His delicate wings were spread out and fastened 
in place with pins, and he was carefully placed in the 
large box where they carried their specimens. 

" That is a Luna moth, my boy," said Mr. Benedict, in 
reply to Frank's eager inquiry. '' He must have been 
hiding through the day among the leaves of that shrub, 
and your net falling over it disturbed him." 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. I3I 

It was now time to go on, and the boys were quite 
ready. 

" Why, where is Ben ? " said the teacher, as he looked 
round on his Httle band. 

" Here are his boots down behind this rock," said Hal ; 
"he can't have gone very far barefoot." 

" No, indeed," said Joe Dane ; " he is too tender of his 
feet for that." 

"Here he is, and fast asleep too!" shouted little Frank, 
who was skipping about among the bushes. "Come, Ben, 
poor Ben, wake up," and Frank seized the sleepy boy's 
hand and tugged at it with all his little strength. 

"Let me alone," grunted Ben. But the loud laugh of 
all the boys soon roused him from his slumbers. He sat 
up and tried to rub open his sleepy eyes. 

"We are all waiting for you, Ben," said the teacher in a 
pleasant voice ; " rouse up and put on your boots." 

" I can't put 'em on," whimpered Ben ; " my feet are all 
covered with blisters now." 

"Such a little fellow as you are, Ben, ought to have 
stayed at home," said Joe Dane, in a hectoring tone. 

Frank began to feel sorry, and, creeping up to the lazy 
boy's side, he said : " I 'm sorry, Ben, you are so tired, 
but I don't believe the boot will hurt you much. I '11 
carry your bag and net if you will let me." 

By this time Ben was fully awake, and with Mr. Bene- 



132 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

diet's help got his boots on and started bfF with the rest, 
although he made a great show of limping and was pretty 
silent all the rest of the day. Some time before sunset the 
party reached the Falls House, which was a small country 
hotel. It stood in a beautiful spot, at the foot of a deep, 
rocky gorge, and from its windows could be seen the 
waterfall which gave the name to the house. All around 
rose the grand old rocky forms of mountains, some covered 
with heavy forests, others with sides of bare precipitous 
rock, supporting nothing save a few creeping brambles. 
The boys were all very glad to eat a hot supper and go 
to bed. Hal and Johnny Webb stayed up longer than 
the rest and went out on to a rustic bridge near by to see 
the Falls by moonlight. It was very still ; not a sound 
could be heard except the splash of the water as it leaped 
over the rocks. The boys sat a long time without speak- 
ing. Johnny was thinking of his sister Annie at home, 
and wondering if next Summer she would be strong 
enough to visit this beautiful place with him. At last 
Mr. Benedict came out to bring them in, for in the morn- 
ing they were going through the gorge, and some rest 
was necessary to prepare them for it. There were quite 
a number of ladies and gentlemen at the hotel, who were 
going through the gorge at the same time, and they were 
glad to have our merry young folks join the party. 

The next morning the boys were all rested, and even 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 33 

Ben was bright and good-natured. The walk over the 
mountain to the other end of the gorge was rather hard 
climbing, and several of the ladies grew discouraged and 
preferred remaining on the top of the cliff to going on 
any farther. It was a dizzy place, for on one side the 
precipice was many hundred feet high, and so perpendicu- 
lar that a plumb-line might swing clear almost to the 
bottom. Some of the more daring ones crept to the edge 
and looked over at the torrent rushing at the bottom of 
the gorge far below. The boys all had their nets, but 
used them to little purpose, as here among the rocks and 
briers there was no opportunity to give chase to the shy 
insects. 

"There," said Frank, to a gentleman who had taken a 
great fancy to -him, and talked with him all the way over 
the mountain, — " there, I lost that fellow ! " 

" What do you want it for, my boy } " asked the gentle- 
man. 

" O, we boys are studying Lepidoptera," said Frank, 
twisting his little tongue slowly and with great effort round 
the big word, "and we came on this pedestrian tour 
(Frank was bound to do credit to. his teaching) on pur- 
pose to get new specimens." 

He then told all about their collection, and promised to 
show it to the gentleman when they returned to the hotel. 
Just then another butterfly darted past them, for which 
Frank threw his net but missed again. 



134 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

" I don't care about that one. It was a Hunter's Butter- 
fly, and I have some Hke it at home," said he. 

"You know the names much better than I do, my Httle 
man," replied the gentleman. 

The whole party were now at the head of the gorge. 
Some of the ladies looked fearfully at the slippery logs 
and rocks over which they must walk, and decided to go 
back the way they came. The teacher suggested that 
Frank would better go back over the mountain too, for 
the stream was much swollen with late rains, and he was 
afraid he could not safely take the little fellow through 
the gorge ; but Frank pleaded so hard that Mr. Benedict 
finally consented, after a promise from him that he would 
keep hold of his hand all the way and not skip about as 
was his wont. And, indeed, there was little -chance to skip 
about here. Their way led over logs so slippery that 
every step must be made with care, or a plunge in the 
water would surely follow. To be sure, the water was not 
deep, but our travellers did not care to get a wetting just 
then. After they had passed the logs they came to the 
rocks, which were still worse, as the moss on them was 
so soft that it was almost impossible to get a foothold. 
The boys enjoyed it immensely. It was excellent fun 
climbing where every step was dangerous. When they 
were tired they sat down to enjoy the grandeur and 
beauty of the scene. The cliffs covered with richest ferns 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 135 

and mosses, rose many hundred feet on each side, and at 
the bottom of the gorge, not far below, the stream rushed 
rapidly between its rocky banks. 

One of the gentlemen who had gone in advance of the 
Others shouted back that the root ladder was covered with 
water, and that a new path would have to be made. Make 
a new path, indeed, when there was nothing but bare 
precipice to work with ! The ladies who had been cour- 
ageous enough to attempt the passage of the gorge sat 
down and waited while the gentlemen hunted for a path. 
They finally gave it up, but said there was a long tree- 
stump leaning against the rock, which possibly they might 
all slide down on. Anyway it was thought best to try it, 
and amidst a great deal of merriment the passage was 
actually accompHshed. The poor old tree-stump which, 
previous to the slide bore a luxuriant coating of rich green 
moss, was stripped bare, and the clothes of all the party 
bore open testimony of the manner in which they had 
embraced the stump in their passage. Frank was so 
covered that Joe Dane said he could think of nothing in 
the world but a green turtle every time he looked at him. 
The party passed through the remainder of the gorge and 
reached the hotel without any further adventures. 

After supper that night Mr. Benedict proposed to the 
boys that, as the scenery was so beautiful here, they should 
remain at the Falls House during the rest of their week. 



136 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

making excursions round on the mountains whenever they 
felt incUned. When their week was up they could go 
directly home in the steam-cars. The boys all agreed 
heartily to this plan, for they had not seen half enough 
of the gorge nor of the mountains around it. * 

" I think I should like to pedestrian a little longer," 
said Frank, with a comical smile ; " but I 'm willing to 
stay here, as Ben is so tired." 

They all laughed at Frank's ready jokes, and Ben joined 
with them. 

"I shall always after this vote for Frank," said he, "for 
you can neither drown him nor get him tired. I dare 
say his feet have not a single blister on them." 

After a few more days of delightful scrambling over the 
rocks, Mr. Benedict and his young pupils bid good by 
to the mountains and reached home in safety. Then came 
four long weeks of vacation. The teacher was away, and 
many of the boys had gone off in various directions. Tom 
and Hal were too much interested in Annie to care to 
leave her again. Of course Johnny stayed at home, and 
the three boys, together with Rose, spent many long quiet 
hours in Annie's room. They brought all their butterflies 
here and arranged them neatly in the cases they had 
made for their collection. These cases were large, deep 
frames, with corks firmly glued on to the back at suitable 
intervals for the different sized butterflies. They placed 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 3/ 

the largest butterflies in the centre and the smaller ones 
all round, leaving spaces here and there for large moths 
they hoped to capture. Some of Annie's chrysaUds had 
opened, affording very perfect specimens to add to the 
boys' collections. 

As to Annie herself, she was rapidly improving and was 
now well enough to sit up in her chair, but the Doctor 
had not yet allowed her to stand on her foot ; she must 
have patience a few weeks more, he said, and then — 

Meanwhile in quiet pleasure and anticipation the long 
Summer days of vacation wore away. 



138 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 




CHAPTER XIX. 

ABOUT MOTHS. 

FTER the long vacation it was pleasant for 
the boys to meet once more in the old 
class-room. They were rested and refreshed 
in body and mind, and full of eagerness to 
hear what Mr. Benedict had to tell them 
about the moths. During the long tramp over the moun- 
tains they had added many rare and beautiful specimens 
to their butterfly collection, and succeeded in procuring 
many perfect pairs of varieties they had previously found 
at home. 

They were already in their seats when Mr. Benedict 
came in. He did not commence at once to tell them 
about the moths, but spent a half-hour in reviewing the 
general facts relating to butterflies, which they had learned 
during the Spring and Summer. 

"I think I have described to you the difference," said 
he, at length, "between the moth and butterfly when at 
rest. The True butterfly holds both pairs of wings up- 
right, the Skipper elevates the fore pair only, and the 
moth holds both pair horizontally, folding the fore wings 
backward so as to nearly or quite conceal the hind pair. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 39 

I do not think you will feel as much interest just now in 
this division of Lepidoptera as you did in the butterflies, 
or Papiliones. The moths are very beautiful, but it is 
not so easy for such boys as you are -to capture them, as 
they do not fly in the warm sunshine, but creep out after 
nightfall. You will now and then find one nestled in a 
dark corner under some leaf or behind the window shut- 
ters, and in going about among bushes I have often dis- 
turbed some old fellow who had settled down cosily to 
sleep away the day, and sent him flying out into the 
sunlight. In cases like this they are easily caught, for 
they cannot see well in the daytime, and fly bHndly this 
way and that. Moths are divided into two great classes, — 
Hawk-moths, or Sphinxes, and Moths, or Phalaenae. These 
two classes are subdivided into many smaller classes, in 
regard to which nearly all naturalists differ in opinion. It 
is unnecessary for you to learn all these sub-divisions at 
present. I shall only tell you the names and, as far as I 
can, the habits of a few of the more common kinds and 
of some of the largest and most beautiful varieties. 

"No doubt you have all heard about the troublesome 
little moths that destroy our fur caps and cloth coats, but 
perhaps you do not know that the moth which lives upon 
woollen cloth is a different variety from that which eats 
the furs. They all belong to the genus Tinea. These 
little creatures are very small, and there is nothing es- 



140 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

pecially interesting in their habits, so we will pass them 
by and learn something about the Spinners, or Bombyces. 
The silkworms belong to this class. The moth of the 
variety cultivated in the United States is very insignifi- 
cant, but the moth of the Japanese silkworm is large 
and very beautiful. The moth you caught among those 
bushes, Frank, was a Spinner." 

" Can that fellow make silk, teacher } " asked Frank. 
" If he can, I want to know all about it, only please don't 
call him a worm, as you did the silkworms." 

Little Frank never lost sight of the fact that he was 
the sworn enemy of worms and caterpillars. 

"That moth, Frank, does not spin silk that is made 
use of like the silkworm. It is possible that the silk is 
strong, but the caterpillars of our common moths do not 
bear confinement under any system of treatment and feed- 
ing already tested, and on this account the silk has never 
received a fair trial. It is produced in such small quan- 
tities by the caterpillars of most moths, that it does not 
seem worth while to take much trouble to make the trial. 
And you know, Frank, that the moth in the winged state 
does not spin. It is the worm or caterpillar that makes 
the cocoon. All moths do not form cocoons. Some of 
them go into the ground and form themselves into large, 
shiny brown chrysalids, from which, at the proper season, 
the moth comes forth, and makes its way to the surface 



i 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. I4I 

of the earth. These moths which come, as it were, out 
of the ground are not often brilliant in color, but their 
wings are a beautiful mixture of black, gray, and white. 
Now, Frank, we will see what we can learn about your 
green moth," 

Mr. Benedict had arranged it very handsomely in a 
box, and he now held it so that all the boys could ex- 
amine it. 

" It is called the Attacus Luna," he continued, " and is, 
I think, the most beautiful of all our moths. It is not as 
brilliant, nor quite so large as some others, but the ex- 
quisit*e deUcacy of its wings both in texture and tint 
surpasses that of any other variety that flies here. The 
wings expand about five inches. They are of a pale, deli- 
cate green color. Along the front edge of the fore wings 
is a broad border of purple, and the hind wings are tipped 
with the same color all round. In the centre of each wing 
is a transparent eye-like spot, encircled by a ring of black 
and yellow on the upper side of the wing, and white be- 
neath. Each hind wing has a tail almost two inches in 
length. The body of the Luna moth is very large and 
thickly covered with white down. The antennae are yellow 
and beautifully feathered, and the legs are purple like the 
border. The worm of this moth lives on Walnut-trees. 
It is a large, ugly-looking fellow, with a very thick body 
several inches long. It forms its cocoon by tying several 



142 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 




Attacus Luna. 



leaves together and creeping into the little cell inside them, 
where it spins its shroud. If you hunt carefully when you 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 43 

are out nutting in the Autumn, you will find the cocoons 
fallen among the dead leaves. They are of the same dull 
brown color as the leaves, and are not very easy to dis- 
tinguish from them. I found one of these cocoons once 
in the early Spring, when the snow had just left the 
ground. It was about the first of April. I carried it home 
and placed it under a glass on the top of my secretary. 
Here it remained until the last of May, and I had for- 
gotten all about it, when one day as I was sitting at my 
desk writing I was startled by a loud crackling sound. 
It was several minutes before I perceived that it came 
from my cocoon. I at last saw that the cocoon was 
moving slightly. As I watched it the motion gradually 
increased, and in about half an hour the cocoon . burst, 
and an unsightly thing crawled forth. It appeared like 
a large white worm with two flippers, I might call them, 
in the place where the wings were to be. These flippers 
were not much larger than the antennae which, at the 
very first, were broad and feathered. The creature moved 
vigorously about and tried to attach itself to the top of 
the glass, but the smooth surface afforded nothing to which 
its feet could cling, so I removed the glass and put in its 
place a small osier basket of openwork. Very soon the 
insect suspended itself to the top of the basket, and its 
wings commenced to expand. As they opened, the delicate 
green color, of which there was no appearance at first, 



144 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

began to show itself. The moth clung to the top of the 
basket, opening its wings broader and broader, until it 
seemed a marvel that so much could have been contained 
in the small, colorless bunches which were all that indicated 
the winces at the time of its birth. At first the wing:s 
were crumpled like the leaves of a Poppy when it first 
drops its calyx and opens to the warm rays of the sun, 
but as the air gradually dried them they smoothed them- 
selves out, and at last the perfect moth stood before me. 
Poor fellow ; his was a short life. Fearful that in fluttering 
to escape he might injure his delicate wings, I gave him 
his first and last food, a drop of ether, and consigned him 
to a prominent place in my collection." 

The boys had listened very eagerly to this description. 
Soon as Mr. Benedict stopped talking little Frank burst 
out with a question, which set the whole school into a 
roar of laughter. 

" O teacher ! " said he, " do you really suppose my moth 
was born that way .'' " 

"Yes, Frank, of course he was, only instead of a basket 
he probably had a cosey green arbor among the leaves of 
some bush in which to expand and dry his wings." 

The teacher then told the boys that he should wait until 
the next meeting before telling them about the other 
moths belonging to the genus Attacus. When they met 
next time he thought he could finish all he intended to 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. I45 

say about the moths, and after that they might plan for 
their Festival. 

"And after that," said Tom, with a long sigh, "I am 
going home." 




146 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

CHAPTER XX. 

ABOUT MOTHS — Contimicd. 

HE class were not able to bring any specimens 
of moths to the next meeting. Mr. Benedict 
had foreseen this difficulty and had provided 
himself with specimens from his own collection. 
"I have already described the Attacus Luna," said he, 
"and to-day I purpose telling you about the others of 
that genus. They all belong to the grand family of Spin- 
ners, or Bombyces. There are four large and magnificent 
insects belonging to the genus Attacus, all of which I 
have captured myself in this locality. The Luna, Cecro- 
pia, Promethia, and Polyphemus. The Attacus Cecropia is 
quite as large as the Luna. Its wings often expand over 
six inches. Their color is reddish brown with a drab mar- 
gin, through which runs a black line. The hind wings 
are rounded, and this line follows the outline of the edge, 
but on the fore wings it is deeply waved. Across the 
middle of the fore wings is a wavy white stripe .shaded 
with brick red on the outer edge. The same stripe crosses 
the hind wing nearer the margin. The fore wings near 
the shoulder are dull red, and on their tips is a black 
spot with a bluish crescent. Near the centre of each wing 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



147 




I4S THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

is a long, crescent-shaped spot of dull white shaded on the 
lower edge with the same shade of red as appears on the 
shoulders. The Attacus Cecropia has large feathered an- 
tennas, and its body is very thick and clumsy : its back 
is dull red, and underneath it is mixed red and white. 
The caterpillar of the Cecropia moth is a huge, disgusting 
fellow. He is more than three inches long, of a clear 
green color, and covered with red and yellow warts and 
black bristles. It lives on various kinds of fruit trees. I 
have often captured specimens of this caterpillar and sup- 
plied them with the proper leaves for food, in the hope 
of seeing the process of transformation to the cocoon ; but 
this caterpillar, like others of the genus Attacus, do*es not 
like confinement, and my specimens have always died. 
You will have no difficulty in finding the cocoons. They 
are firmly attached to the side of twigs, and the best way 
to preserve them is to cut the twig and allow the cocoon 
to remain as placed by the worm. Sometimes the cocoon 
is twisted off by the wind and falls among the dry leaves. 
The insect remains in the chrysalis all Winter, and breaks 
forth from its prison cell some time in June. 

"The Attacus Polyphemus is also a very large moth. In 
the caterpillar state it lives on the Oak and Elm, and 
forms its cocoon with an outward covering of leaves very 
much the same way as the Luna moth. The caterpillars 
of the Luna and Polyphemus are very similar, but the 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. I49 

moths are entirely different. The hind wings of the Poly- 
phemus are round, without the slightest indication of the 
long tail of the Luna. The color of the wings is dull 
yellow, slightly clouded with black. Near the margin of 
the fore wings is a gray band, and at the shoulder are 
two short red and white Hnes. Just within the edge of 
the hind wings is a dark gray band with an outer edge 
of reddish white. On the centre of each wing is a trans- 
parent spot, crossed by a fine line, and encircled by rings 
of yellow and black. The whole is surrounded by a large 
blue spot shaded into black. On the fore pair of wings 
this spot is much smaller and less prominent than on the 
hind pair. The wings of the Attacus Polyphemus expand 
from five to six inches. 

"The Attacus Promethia is much smaller than the other 
three. It rarely expands over three and a half inches. Its 
caterpillar lives on Sassafras and Wild Cherry trees, and 
the silk with which it attaches, its cocoon to the twigs is 
so strong that the rudest winds and storms of Winter have 
no power to disturb the case of dried leaves within which 
the cocoon rests securely. When the fresh June foliage is 
in its prime the moth breaks forth. The color of the Pro- 
methia moth differs according to the sex. The male is 
dark bluish brown, and the female a light reddish tint. 
Across the middle of the wings, in both, runs a whitish 
line, shaded toward the margin into a wide, clay-colored 



ISO 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



border through which runs a wavy line of red. Along 
the edge of the hind wing are six oblong spots. Near the 
tip of each fore wing is a round black spot within a bluish 
white line. At the centre of each wing on the female 
there is an oblong reddish-white spot surrounded by a line 




Attacus Promethia. 

of black. These same spots may be seen very faintly on 
the under side of the male, but never on the upper side. 
, "The Arctia Acrea, or Beach moth, is a small but very 
pretty variety, now becoming quite common in our inland 
towns. Its home is on the great salt marshes, but it is 
supposed that the chrysalids have been brought inland 
with loads of salt hay, and in this way it is fast becoming 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



151 




Arctia Acrea. 



at home in a new atmosphere. The caterpillar of the 
Beach moth belongs to the bear family, so called because 
the caterpillars belonging to it are covered with hairs, 
Arctia, the name of the genus, being from the Greek word 
for bear. The female of the 
Beach moth is very beauti- 
ful. The wings, which ex- 
pand about two inches and 
a half, appear like white vel- 
vet marked with fine black 
spots. The male of this 
moth is not quite so deli- 
cate as the female and is a little smaller. Its fore pair 
of wings are white marked with black, the same as those 
of the female, but the hind pair are reddish yellow, also 
marked with black. The body of the moth is the same 
in both male and female. The head is white and velvety, 
and the body is reddish yellow, with a line of black spots 
on the back. 

"Another very beautiful moth is the Dryocampa Imperi- 
alis. I have a pair of these which at different times were 
hatched from chrysalids in my possession, and I have 
brought them here to show you. Unfortunately, I was 
not present when either of these insects came forth. I 
found them fully open and ready for flight. The cater- 
pillar of this moth goes into the ground to form its chrys- 



152 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



alls, and the pupa remains there all Winter. In June the 
chrysalis works its way to the surface of the earth, and 
projects the end through which the moth is about. to burst 
forth. You will often find the chrysalids while digging 




Dryocampa Imperialis. 



your garden in the Spring, and although the removal from 
the ground before the proper time often tends to kill what 
life there may be in the inside, still very frequently this 
is not the case. I have often been successful in feeding 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 153 

the worms in a box of earth, and in that way allowing 
the chrysalis to come out of the ground at its own time. 
You will find the worms of the Imperiahs moth on Button- 
wood-trees. These worms are several inches long and of 
a greenish color, with a red tint along the back. The 
head and legs are pale orange. If you catch them about 
the first of September, which is near the time they are 
ready to go into the ground, they will take kindly to your 
box of earth, and your experiment will probably be suc- 
cessful. The moth of the Dryocampa Imperialis expands 
about five inches. It is of a delicate yellow color, sprinkled 
with purple dots. Across each wing is a wavy band of 
purple. The body is the same color as the wings, yellow 
dotted with purple. 

"I have told you that this section of Lepidoptera is 
divided into two grand classes, — Moths and Hawk-moths. 
I have described to you some of the largest of the Moths, 
and will now tell you about a few belonging to the other 
division. The Hawk-moths are almost all of them large 
and clumsy, but for all that they are frequently called 
Humming-bird moths, from the loud humming sound they 
make in flying, and because they hover over flowers in 
the same manner as humming-birds, while taking their 
food. These moths generally appear at twilight, before it 
has grown very dark. The caterpillars of the Hawk-moths 
crawl into the ground for transformation, and the pupa 
remains there through the Winter. 



154 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 




Sphinx Quinquemaculatus. 



" One of the largest of these moths is the Sphinx Quin- 
quemaculatus, or Five-spotted Sphinx. It is named from 
the five round orange spots on each side of the body. 
You are probably all familiar with the large green potato 
worm, as it is called. This is the worm of the Five- 
spotted Sphinx. It lives among the potato vines all Sum- 
mer, and about the last of August crawls into the ground, 
where it remains until Spring. The Five-spotted Sphinx 
is a coarse-looking creature. Its wings are a dull mixture 
of black and gray. Th^y expand a little over five inches. 
The tube through which this moth draws its food is very 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 55 

curious. I remember watching them, when I was quite 
young, playing about in the early evening over the Honey- 
suckle in front of my father's house. The long tongue 
which they thrust down into the deep cups of the flowers 
excited my wonder so much that I determined to catch 
one and examine it. After working with my cap for some 
time I succeeded in capturing a fine specimen. After se- 
curing him under a glass he appeared to have no tongue 
at all. Supposing I had caught the wrong one, I let him 
go and trapped another, with, however, the same result. 
I was sure that this fellow had a tongue, for I had seen 
him use it. My first thought was that it was broken off, 
and I looked for it in my cap. Finally I discovered it 
carefully coiled up and quite concealed by the two feelers 
at each side of the head. After killing the insect I un- 
rolled the tongue. It was full five inches long. 

"There is another very common kind of Sphinx or 
Hawk-moth which lives on Elm-trees. Its wings expand 
about four inches, and are of a very delicate ashen gray 
marked with white. Its name is Ceratomia Quadricornis, 
but I propose that we call it the Elm moth, for I don't 
believe that one of you will ever remember the other 
name. Sometimes these Elm moths are so numerous as 
to do great mischief to those noble trees. The wings of 
all these Hawk-moths are quite peculiar in shape. The 
fore pair are very long and narrow, suited for a strong 




15^ THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

and rapid flight. The hind pair are very much shorter 

and also quite narrow. 

"The clear-winged Sphinxes, belonging to the genus 

Sesia, are very pretty. They do not seem like moths. 

Instead of moving about 
heavily after nightfall, they 
fly in the warm sunshine 
and hover over sweet flow- 
ers with all the activity of 
bees. When their wings are 
closed they are about as 

Clear-winged Sphinx. , , . 

large as a good-sized bum- 
ble-bee. They never light while taking their food, but 
dart from flower to flower with all the grace and rapidity 
of a humming-bird. We will call them the Fairy moths. 
The body of these insects is somewhat heavy, of a dark 
brown color, and covered with a feathery down, but the 
wings are exquisitely delicate. They expand about two 
inches, are long and narrow, and vibrate with great ra- 
pidity when the little insect hangs over a flower. They 
are composed of transparent lace-work with a reddish- 
brown border, which is very narrow except at the tip 
of the fore wings. The antennae are long, and enlarged 
towards the end, but not knobbed." 

Mr. Benedict stopped a moment and leaned on his desk, 
regarding the boys attentively. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 5/ 

" My young friends," said he, " it has been an untold 
pleasure to me to review with you during the Summer 
that is past a small part of my own studies in this beau- 
tiful section of Natural History. I have been also much 
gratified at the interest you all have manifested in collect- 
ing specimens and in listening to my lectures about them. 
It is my fond hope that this small beginning may awaken 
in some of you at least the desire to pursue the study 
further, and it is not impossible that, thus awakened, you 
may go on and become men high in the ranks of science. 

" In this hope, and with the assurance that what we 
have studied is, however small, at least good in itself, I 
dismiss our last session as a class." 




158 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

THE BUTTERFLY FESTIVAL. 

UMMER was past All along the roadside 
the Solidago and bright blue Asters, the 
last wild-flowers of the year, lifted their 
blossoms to meet the Autumn sun, and on 
every hillside stood dumps of Oak and 
Maple resplendent in their coats of maroon, 
and yellow, and scarlet. 

These days were golden indeed to Annie Webb. She 
sat in her chamber watching the hazy Autumn sunlight 
brooding over the hills, while the scarlet leaves of the 
Woodbine over the window drifted in and lighted now 
on her hair, now on the carpet at her feet. She had 
walked about her chamber, but had not yet ventured to 
go down the stairs. One day she stood looking out into 
the yard where the bright yellow leaves from the Ash- 
trees before the house lay all about in heaps. 

" O mother," said she, suddenly, " when I have heard 
the dry leaves rustle as Johnny ran over them, I have 
always longed to walk among them myself Don't you 
think I might try to go out in the yard to-day ? " 

" Yes, Annie," said her mother, " I think you might try. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. I 59 

If it tires you to go down stairs, you can rest on your old 
seat by the front door." 

Mrs. Webb threw her arm gently round the young girl 
and supported her as they went down stairs. It was a 
moment of great excitement to Annie. When they reached 
the door she turned away from her old seat with a half- 
suppressed sigh, as she thought of the long, long days she 
had spent there, and leaning on her mother's arm passed 
out into the sunny yard. It was true then at last. She 
stood out under the trees and among the fallen leaves and 
rustled them with her own little feet. She thought she 
had never heard sweeter music than the rustling of those 
leaves. When she at last turned to go back to the house, 
her face was flushed and her eyes shone with excitement. 

"The boys can have their Festival now, mother," said 
she. "They have been very good to wait for me, but they 
need not wait any longer." 

The boys had selected a lovely spot on the side of the 
mountain for their Festival. The Mountain Stream started 
from several springs near the hill-top, in the midst of a 
forest of noble Maples. For a little distance below its 
sources the banks on each side were gently sloped, smooth, 
and grassy, and this was the spot selected for the Festival 
ground. Just below this spot there was a beautiful cas- 
cade, which went tumbling down into a deep and narrow 
ravine. The sides of the chasm were rock and quite per- 



l60 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

pendicular. Graceful Birches intermixed with stately, un- 
yielding Hemlocks, drooped over, and completely shut out 
the sun. It was always damp and gloomy in the gorge, 
and its walls were covered with exquisite moss. At the 
bottom rushed the Mountain Stream. A fairy-like scene 
it was to one standing just below the fall and looking up. 
Down through the Birches and dark green Hemlocks at 
the farther end of the ravine dashed the foamy water with 
a clear, cheerful sound, and ran on over the rocky bed, 
laughing merrily at its brave leap. Its spray rose lightly 
into the sunlight, and played in rainbow colors among the 
intricately woven boughs. 

The Festival day came at last. Early in the morning 
the sun was quite concealed by a heavy white mist, but 
soon it parted here and there, showing clear blue sky 
beyond, and by the time our young folks were all wide 
awake the mist had rolled off down the valley out of sight. 

The arrangements for the Festival were all complete. 
Annie had been chosen for the Queen of all the butter- 
flies, and Rose Merton, Frank's cousin Mary, and two other 
girls were to be her assistant fairies. The boys had built 
a gorgeous throne in the grove. It was arched over with 
boughs of scarlet Maple, and festooned with long wreaths 
of evergreen, in which were fastened innumerable yellow 
butterflies, which Tom and Hal had been collecting all 
Summer for this very purpose. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. l6l 

The young folks began to gather on the bank of the 
Mountain Stream about noon. All our old friends of the 
butterfly class were there, and many other young people 
who had been invited to share the sports of the day. Tom 
and Hal, with Maggie Stewart, were the last to arrive. 

"Now," said Jennie Graham, "we are all here ready to 
do homage to our Queen." 

The young folks were waiting with much impatience for 
Annie to arrive. With the exception of Tom and Hal, 
no one had seen her since her recovery. 

It was not long before a shout was heard from the boys 
who had been sent to the entrance of the picnic ground 
to herald the coming of the royal party. The children all 
watched eagerly for its approach, and very soon the pro- 
cession appeared. Two maids of honor came first, and 
then Annie with Rose and little Mary. Behind them came 
Mr. Benedict, Annie's father and mother, and the parents 
of some of the other young folks. Annie was dressed in 
green, spangled all over with silver butterflies. On her 
head she wore a wreath of white flowers. 

As Annie walked slowly across the green to her throne, 
the young folks made the woods ring with their shouts. 
It was almost too much to believe that she was with 
them there happy and well, instead of being the feeble 
lame girl they had known for so long a time. 

Mr. Benedict took Annie's hand and assisted her to 



1 62 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

mount the throne. The four maids of honor seated them- 
selves on the moss-covered steps at her feet. Then Annie 
looked all round on the company and smiled her thanks 
for its hearty welcome. 

" Now, boys," said Mr. Benedict, " while our pretty 
Queen is resting with her maids, let us all spend the 
time in games, after which we will see which boy will 
have the good fortune to win the privilege of escorting 
the Queen to lunch." 

The boys had arranged a croquet ground on the green, 
and it was now taken possession of by a party of the 
young folks, others went to enjoy the swings which had 
been put up in the grove, and some strayed away in 
search of Autumn flowers and grasses. Maggie Stewart 
stayed with Annie and her maids of honor. . The meeting 
between the two girls was very joyous. It was hard to 
say which felt the most pleasure, Maggie to know that 
her friend was well, or Annie to think that she was so 
partly through Maggie's instrumentality. 

" So you are to be caught and carried off as a prize, 
Annie," said Maggie. 

"O no," replied Annie, "I shall not be caught at all. 
The boys are to win me if they can, but they can't." 

"And if they don't catch you, then they have no right 
to try for the maids of honor, have they ? " asked modest 
little Mary. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 63 

"No, Mary. They must catch the Queen first, or go 
without any of us." 

It was not long before the company, especially the boys, 
came trooping back to the green. They were on tiptoe 
to know about catching the Queen. When they were all 
assembled. Rose stood up by Annie and said that the 
Queen would now yield up her place as head of the 
Festival to any boy who could catch her. "The boy 
who succeeds," said Rose, "shall stand with the Queen 
at the head of the table and be hailed King of the 
Festival. If the Queen conquers all her subjects she 
shall have the right to choose her own companion." 

By order of the girls the boys had built two seats on 
the throne, and they were now to fight for the right of 
occupying the vacant one by Annie's side. Rose said she 
thought the boys would yield to Mr. Benedict the right 
to make the first trial. 

"No, no, we won't do that," said Tom, Hal, and a dozen 
others at once. 

"Then you must draw lots for chances," said Rose. 

Tom wrote some numbers on little pieces of paper and 
they were all shaken together in a basket, which Rose 
held, and each boy drew out one ticket. Only the boys 
belonging to the butterfly class were allowed to draw. 

" Number one ! " shouted Joe Dane, as he waved his 
ticket triumphantly over his head. 



164 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

Annie came down the steps of her throne and stood on 
the grass. Joe Dane was waiting in great excitement to 
know what he was expected to do, when Rose stepped 
forward and handed him a grace-hoop and a pair of 
sticks. Another maid of honor gave a similar set to 
Annie. 

"The boy who can crown me with the hoop," said 
Annie, "shall conduct me back to the throne and occupy 
the vacant seat by my side." 

All the boys cheered loudly for the Queen and for the 
game. They were all skilful pla3^ers and they laughed at 
Annie's confidence that no one could catch her. 

" Where did Annie learn to play ? " asked Gilbert. 

" O, Annie used to play with me," said Johnny, "as 
she sat by the front door at home, and she never missed 
catching the hoop. I don't believe one of you can crown 
her." 

At a signal from Rose the game started. The hoops, 
which were trimmed with flowers, flew back and forth 
through the air. Joe's four throws, which were all that were 
allowed to each boy, were soon given, and at every throw 
Annie caught the hoop gracefully and surely on the end 
of her sticks. The boys shouted as Joe threw down his 
sticks and retired discomfited from the field. Gilbert's turn 
came next. He confidently took up the sticks. 

"Annie," said he, "it 's too bad for such a great fellow 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 1 65 

as I am to play with you. I can throw the hoops so 
much faster than you can catch them." 

For reply Annie sent a hoop whirling at his head which, 
before he could spring and catch it, landed safely on his 
broad shoulders. 

"Now do the same to me if you can," said Annie. 

But it was no use. Boy after boy tried his skill and 
failed. 

"Annie will get tired at last," said Ben Wait, "and then 
she will be easily caught." 

" No, she won't be tired," said Johnny. . " She often plays 
with me all the afternoon." 

At length all had tried and failed except Hal. He took 
his place and gave all his attention to the throws. Playing 
as fast as they were, it did not take long for the trial to 
be over. Annie caught the last hoop and whirling it on 
her sticks turned in triumph to the boys. 

"Now Annie is Queen," shouted little Frank, "and she 
must ascend the throne alone." 

"No, Frankie," said Annie, "I shall not mount my 
throne alone. I am going to take you with me." 

She went forward and taking the httle fellow's hand, 
led him up the steps and placed him in the chair at her 
side. Then turning to the company she bade them all do 
homage to their King. The whole party, vexed as they 
were at their own failure to win the place of honor, burst 



l66 THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 

into roars of laughter, and all hastened forward to greet 
Frank as King. The little fellow was almost wild with 
delight. 

" Now," said Annie, " choose your companion and we will 
march to the lunch table." 

" I am bound to catch somebody," said Joe Dane, and 
seizing a grace-hoop he threw it over the head of little 
Mary and led her off in triumph. 

The boys had built a rustic table just within the grove, 
for the lunch. It was trimmed with evergreen and red 
leaves, and in the centre was placed a small Fir-tree, its 
branches ornamented with gay-colored butterflies. 

The party spent a long time about the table. Annie 
was full of fun. As she moved about among them all, her 
silver butterflies glistening in the light, she seemed to be 
in a new world. 

After lunch they spent the time in singing and playing 
games. But the day passed away, as all sweet things do, 
and the long shadows of the setting sun at length warned 
them to turn towards home. 

It was Tom's last evening in the country. After the 
picnic the whole party walked home with him to his uncle's 
house. They were all unwilling to bid him good by, for 
through the long Summer days he had been their favorite 
companion, skilful and ready at all their games, and always 
full of fun and good-nature. 



THE BUTTERFLY HUNTERS. 



167 



The parting words were all said at last. Tom stood 
under the Elm with his sister and his two cousins, and 
watched his young friends go off down the road. At the 
foot of the hill they all turned and waved their handker- 
chiefs as a last good by, and then passed out of sight. 




Cambridge : Electrotyped and Printed by Welch, Bigelow, & Co. 



